ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal By-Products Regulations

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has established the penalties that will apply from the failure of the UK fully to (a) implement and (b) enforce the Animal By-Products Regulations.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK has provided for the administration and enforcement of the EU Animal By-Products Regulation (EC) No. 1774/2002 by the Animal By-Products Regulations 2003. These came into force in England on 1 July 2003, in Scotland on 1 October 2003, in Wales on 31 October 2003 and on 3 December 2003 in Northern Ireland.
	Had any part of the UK failed to observe our EU obligations, this could have led to enforcement action being taken by the European Commission in the European Court of Justice (ECJ). If a Member State fails to take the necessary measures to comply with the judgment of the European Court of Justice within the time limit specified, the Member State may incur either a lump sum penalty or a daily penalty payment. The penalty payment would be based on a uniform flat rate amount, multiplied by two coefficients, one reflecting the seriousness of the infringement, and the other the duration. This would then be multiplied by a factor reflecting the ability to pay and the number of votes the UK has in Council.

Animal By-Products Regulations

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discretion she has under European Union law to delay full (a) implementation and (b) enforcement of the Animal By-Products Regulations.

Ben Bradshaw: As the EU Animal By-Products Regulation (EC 1774/2002) is directly applicable in all Member States, no discretion is available to delay either the implementation or the enforcement of the Regulation. However, where possible the UK secured transitional measures where it was clear that sectors of industry needed further time to comply with the requirements of the Regulation.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made to the European Commission concerning the payment to farmers of consequential losses arising from the imposition of TB restrictions on their farms.

Ben Bradshaw: No such representations have been made.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether live cattle imported from mainland Europe are tested for TB infection prior to being imported into the UK.

Ben Bradshaw: Where the Member State, or the part of the Member State where the herd is situated is recognised as being officially free of tuberculosis (as defined by EU Directive 64/432/EEC), a TB test is not required prior to import to Great Britain. This applies whether for breeding, production or slaughter. All cattle must be tested if they do not come from a officially TB-free area.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice was given in (a) 1999 and (b) subsequent years to the Veterinary Investigation Service by the Health and Safety Executive concerning the safety of their laboratories handling TB contaminated material; what action was taken as a result of that advice; and what the cost of that action was.

Ben Bradshaw: The Veterinary Investigation Service merged with the Central Veterinary Laboratory and became the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) In 1996.
	VLA in Truro was served with a Crown Prohibition Notice by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on 16 August 1999. The HSE considered that it was unsafe to work with TB-infected badger carcases without the provision of "local exhaust ventilation".
	VLA commissioned contractors to construct ventilated down-draught autopsy tables. The prototypes were installed at the Truro Regional Laboratory and were approved for use by the HSE. Subsequently, further autopsy tables were installed at all the remaining Regional Laboratories. The total cost was around £90,000. An additional sum of about £20,000 was spent on refurbishment of the Truro badger autopsy room.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures have been taken to assist farmers suffering multiple breakdowns safely to dispose of milk produced from reactor cows.

Ben Bradshaw: No particular measures are required as, currently, milk from reactor cattle can be sold for human consumption, provided it has been heat-treated.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what extent reactive culling undertaken in the Krebs trials is comparable with reactive culling trials undertaken previously.

Ben Bradshaw: The randomised badger culling trial is the first culling trial in Great Britain to include scientific controls, allowing a rigorous estimation of the impact of a reactive culling protocol. No other such reactive culling trials have previously been undertaken in Great Britain.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the Government reconciles its commitment to protect the badger populations with its commitment to maintain biodiversity in indigenous birds and mammals.

Ben Bradshaw: As has been previously explained the badger benefits from legal protection introduced to outlaw cruelty towards animals. For example, the Protection of Animals Act 1911, which among other things, made the baiting of animals illegal, and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, which made certain specified acts of cruelty illegal.
	There is no reconciliation to be made with our stated commitment to biodiversity. The Department has put in place 391 species action plans, which are designed to help those species whose populations that are endangered or vulnerable.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether all TB hotspots in the UK have been identified.

Ben Bradshaw: There is no universally accepted definition of a "hotspot". Testing cattle herds for TB at regular enough intervals will, combined with other methods of surveillance, allow identification of areas of emerging infection in cattle.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the consequences for the spread of bovine TB are of badger migration into areas which are already colonised by established badger social groups.

Ben Bradshaw: There will be some movement of badgers even within areas of high density where social groups are virtually contiguous. However, rates of movement between groups are likely to be lower at high population density. Wherever movement between groups occurs there is the potential for disease transmission.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether the Krebs trials should be halted immediately.

Ben Bradshaw: The Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) is under constant assessment. The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) carry out periodic interim analyses of RBCT data. If the ISG's analyses were to reveal any significant findings they would be reported to Ministers. An Independent Review Group, chaired by Professor Charles Godfray, has just completed an assessment of the RBCT and associated work, and the state of progress. The Review Group's report is expected to be published soon.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the PathMan project to which her recent consultation document Preparing for a New GB Strategy on Bovine TB refers is; and when results are expected from it.

Ben Bradshaw: The 'PathMan' project is not referred to in the consultation document "Preparing for a new GB strategy on bovine TB".
	'PathMan' is a web-based data capture and project management system specifically developed for a complex project involving collection of data from multiple collaborators or sites. It is being used to collect project data (epidemiology, pathology, bacteriology, histopathology and immunology) from the examination of 200 tuberculin skin-test positive and 200 suspected false negative cattle in order to understand the pathogenesis of naturally infected animals. The project is due to end in September 2005.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the reasons why the Krebs reactive trials led to an increase in bovine TB;
	(2)  whether the Krebs reactive trial proved conclusively that badgers are involved in the spread of TB among cattle.

Ben Bradshaw: The report of the review group chaired by Sir John Krebs, published in 1998, concluded that "there is strong evidence for an association between TB in badgers and cattle". The result from the reactive element of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial adds to the sum of that evidence. Further research and analysis is under way to investigate the reasons for this finding.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what factors in the Thornbury trial contributed to the success of the trial in reducing bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: Both the gassing method of culling to thoroughly eliminate the badgers, and the steps taken to prevent recolonization for several years, were factors likely to have maximised the reduction of any effect of badgers on cattle TB in the Thornbury trial area.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which voluntary groups have made representations to her Department on the welfare of badgers.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra periodically receives representations from a range of organisations on issues relating to badgers. Unfortunately, information is not kept in a form that would allow us, without disproportionate effort, to identify which representations specifically concerned badger welfare.
	However, I can reveal that the following organisations contributed to the recent public consultation exercise on licensing under the Protection of Badgers Act, 1992. The welfare of badgers was a central issue of this exercise.
	Cheshire Wildlife Trust
	Dorset Badger Group
	East Surrey Badger Protection Society
	Herefordshire Badger Group
	National Federation of Badger Groups
	North East Essex Badger Group
	North Northants Badger Group
	The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
	The Wildlife Trusts
	West Sussex Badger Protection Group
	Wirral and Cheshire Badger Group
	In addition, I have recently received a representation from Naturewatch concerning legal provisions to combat badger cruelty.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) establishments and (b) research staff there are to provide the experimental resources needed to develop TB vaccines in badgers.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra funds research projects to develop diagnostic tests and vaccines for TB in badgers. These are collaborative projects between the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) at Weybridge and researchers in the Republic of Ireland.
	Four staff are engaged at VLA on these projects.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to create partnerships with farmers by means of granting them licences to kill badgers in TB-infected areas as a means of improving control strategies for TB in cattle.

Ben Bradshaw: We have no current plans for such partnerships. As the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs made clear at the recent National Farmers Union AGM, we are open to radical solutions. If scientific evidence suggests that badger culling would be effective we will want to consider whether we can develop a practical and cost-effective policy.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likelihood of eradicating bovine TB by concentrating on biosecurity measures in the cattle industry without taking measures to eliminate the disease in the wildlife reservoir.

Ben Bradshaw: None. The control of TB in cattle is a complex problem and there is no single solution.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has identified economic benefits to the UK of allowing TB to be present in the national cattle herd.

Ben Bradshaw: No.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the relevance to the UK of the results obtained in the Republic of Ireland following use of BCG vaccine on badgers.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government are aware that there has been recent research in the Republic of Ireland on vaccination of badgers with BCG. However, as this work has not yet been published, we are unable to comment on its significance.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the highest density of badgers recorded at any one location in England has been; and where that location was.

Ben Bradshaw: A density of 38 badgers per km 2 has been reported at Wytham Woods near Oxford 1 . As far as we are aware this is the highest density of badgers recorded at a location in England.
	1 Macdonald, D. and Newman, C. (2002) Population dynamics of badger Meles males in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom: numbers, density and cohort life histories and a possible role of climate change in population growth. Journal of Zoology, 256, 121–138.

Badgers/Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the Republic of Ireland about public attitudes to control of TB in wildlife.

Ben Bradshaw: No such discussions have taken place.

Coastal Defence

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are being taken to improve coastal defences in East Anglia.

Elliot Morley: I understand that over the next 10 years the Environment Agency (EA) is planning to spend about £70 million on coastal defence projects on the East Anglian coast to provide increased protection to some 25,000 residential properties.
	The EA is carrying out significant works at Hunstanton to Heacham; Happisburgh to Winterton; Great Yarmouth; Felixstowe; and Tilbury. Defra is also grant aiding Waveney district council for major works to protect against coastal erosion on Corton seafront, north of Lowestoft, and will consider applications from coast protection authorities for other works that meet the Department's criteria for funding.
	Five Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) cover the East Anglian coast. These are all to be reviewed and second generation SMPs produced by 2008. SMPs are high-level plans that recommend policies for flood defence and coastal protection for the future. They take account of erosion and pressures on existing defences and the need to work more in keeping with natural processes. They outline the management policy for each area of the coastline for the next 100 years, and will provide predictions of the implications of these policies over the next 20, 50 and 100 years. The first of these, SMP3b covering the coast from Kelling to Lowestoft Ness, is currently being developed by North Norfolk district council as the lead authority, along with the EA and Great Yarmouth borough council. The draft policies for this SMP will be available for consultation later this year.

Coastal Defence

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was (a) allocated to and (b) spent on coastal defence in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: The flood and coastal defence operating authorities promote schemes within the constraints of Defra funding criteria so funds are not specifically set aside for coastal defences as such.
	The original Defra grant allocations to the operating authorities (Environment Agency (EA), local authorities (LAs) and internal drainage boards (IDBs)) for capital improvement of defences against flooding, both coastal and otherwise, and coastal erosion for each of the last five years, and the outturn are as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			  Allocation Outturn 
		
		
			 1998–99   
			 Environment Agency 31.0 33.5 
			 Local Authorities 21.9 25.0 
			 Internal Drainage Boards 0.25 0.4 
			
			 1999–2000   
			 Environment Agency 28.8 31.8 
			 Local Authorities 26.9 26.0 
			 Internal Drainage Boards 0.25 0.6 
			 2000–01   
			 Environment Agency 27.0 26.4 
			 Local Authorities 27.0 13.9 
			 Internal Drainage Boards 0.5 0.2 
			
			 2001–02   
			 Environment Agency 44.0 38.5 
			 Local Authorities 31.0 10.9 
			 Internal Drainage Boards 2.1 1.3 
			
			 2002–03   
			 Environment Agency 61.0 66.2 
			 Local Authorities 23.0 30.7 
			 Internal Drainage Boards 3.0 1.7 
		
	
	In addition to capital grants, Defra has provided LAs with borrowing cover for the net of grant costs of capital works and EA with contributions to national initiatives and costs incurred in relation to the autumn 2000 floods.

Coastal Defence

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will provide an updated version of the point-scoring system used to decide upon priorities for coastal protection.

Elliot Morley: The Department's priority scoring system for the funding of flood defence and coast protection capital works was introduced in 1997 and revised in the light of experience following extensive consultation. The new system became operational from April 2003. There is no intended bias against coastal erosion schemes in the new system. If any unintended bias emerged the Department would be willing to consider changes to the system. Officials have agreed to hold a workshop with representatives of coast protection authorities to consider whether alternative approaches could inform the allocation process in future years.

Flood Protection

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Risk Assessment for Strategic Planning database held by the Environment Agency has been updated to take account of the performance of demountable flood defences in Bewdley; and when insurers will receive these data.

Elliot Morley: The Risk Assessment for Strategic Planning (RASP) method was used to produce the National Flood Risk Assessment 2002. The flood probability data arising from that exercise were provided under licence to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) in July 2003. That database has not been updated to take account of the successful use of demountable defences in Bewdley.
	The Environment Agency is currently developing the RASP method for use for the National Flood Risk Assessment 2004. This will take into account the demountable defences at Bewdley. The EA's current plans are to make the flood probability data from this analysis of flood risk available to the ABI later this year.

Flood Protection

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to re-examine policy on the flood protection for mobile homes in flood risk areas, with particular reference to assessment of possible benefits arising from raising the level of these homes; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Department has no current plans to re-examine the policy on flood protection for mobile homes in flood risk areas.
	Defra provides funding to the relevant operating authorities for capital works where an area at risk of flooding is of sufficient national priority, and where it is possible to provide a technically sound, economically viable and environmentally sustainable scheme to reduce flood risk. For mobile home sites, one of the considerations in determining whether the cost of protection is reasonable will generally include whether it would be more cost effective for the site to be moved to a lower risk location. Clearly site owners may choose to implement measures to reduce flood risk at their own expense (subject to necessary consents) and, as landowners, they are ultimately responsible for protecting their property against flooding.
	Advice to the owners of caravan parks and campsites can be found in "Planning Policy Guidance 25: Development and Flood Risk", published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. PPG25 emphasises that owners should prepare safe and effective plans for action to be taken in the event of a flood at the site and ensure that any person who resides in a caravan or tent on that site is informed of the degree of risk and the action they should take in a flood event.

Flood Protection

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether residents of flood risk areas are required to contribute towards the cost of evacuation, including temporary accommodation; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The costs of evacuation of people from their homes because of flooding or risk of flooding is a matter for local authorities. The provision of temporary accommodation for people who have been evacuated is a matter for individuals and their insurers, although local authorities can assist in cases where there is a need for their further assistance.

Flood Protection

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help is being given to farmers on the Somerset levels to help with flooding under the mid-term Common Agricultural Policy reform.

Elliot Morley: The Somerset levels are a flood plain where flooding is part of the natural cycle.
	While there is no general right to flood protection and no provision to compensate land owners or occupiers for flood damage, there are existing examples of cases where farmers have received payment for additional intentional flooding that forms a part of justified new flood defence measures. There is no intention to give farmers specific help with flooding under CAP reform.
	Agri-environment schemes in the area have promoted raised water levels on some farms to enhance the habitat. Whilst this is not a specific flood management tool it can make a contribution and we intend to continue it under Environmental Stewardship from 2005.

GM Crops

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the cost-benefit analysis undertaken by her Department regarding the impact on the UK economy of adding each new GM crop.

Elliot Morley: As part of the GM Dialogue the Strategy Unit carried out a study of the costs and benefits of GM crops. Their report 'Field Work: weighing up the costs and benefits of GM crops' was published on 11 July last year. The report concluded that GM crops could offer some cost and convenience advantages to UK farmers, although any economic benefit is likely to be limited in the short term as only a narrow range of existing GM crops are currently suited to UK conditions, and weak consumer demand may limit take-up. In the longer term it concluded that future developments in GM crops have the potential to offer more wide-ranging benefits, to both farmers and consumers.
	We will agree to the commercial cultivation of a GM crop only if we are satisfied that it is safe, and we will provide genuine choice for consumers. Ultimately, it will be for farmers and consumers to assess individual GM seeds and products and decide via the normal operation of the market whether they want to buy them.

GM Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she has taken to ensure that the Reading University cattle feeding studies involving Chardon LL fodder maize will be scientifically robust and independent of (a) Government and (b) GM crop technology companies.

Elliot Morley: The cattle feeding study carried out by Reading University was privately funded research. It is therefore not a matter for Government. I understand that the researchers intend to submit their study to a peer reviewed journal for publication so others will be able to assess the data when the peer review process is complete.

GM Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the Norwegian research on the safety of the CaMV promoter used in Chardon LL transgenic insert.

Elliot Morley: The reported new scientific evidence from Norway on the cauliflower mosaic virus promoter has yet to be published. When the details of this research do become available, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE), which advises the Government on the risks posed by the intentional release of GMOs, will be asked to evaluate these data and advise on their implications for existing consents and future applications.

GM Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she gave consent for the harvested Chardon LL forage maize from FSE sites to be taken off-site and used in cattle feeding studies at the Reading University Centre for Dairy Research; and what conditions were attached to that consent.

Elliot Morley: The GM maize used in the farm scale evaluations has Europe-wide marketing consent for use in animal feed so no consent was required to use the harvested crop in the cattle feeding study carried out at the University of Reading.

GM Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much Chardon LL cattle feeding studies at Reading University has cost public funds.

Elliot Morley: There has been no cost to public funds. I understand the study carried out at Reading University was privately funded.

GM Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what results she has obtained from the Chardon LL cattle feeding studies completed at the Reading University Centre for Dairy Research in 2002.

Elliot Morley: I have not seen the results of this cattle feeding study, which was privately funded research undertaken by Reading University. Publication of the results of studies carried out by the university is a matter for them and those funding the work. However, I understand that the researchers intend to submit their study and the results to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

GM Crops

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the process will be for the formulation of GM coexistence and liability measures;
	(2)  if it will be permissible for GM Chardon LL maize to be grown commercially in the United Kingdom before liability and compensation measures have been fully established; and whether she intends that such measures will be based on the principle of perpetual liability;
	(3)  whether statutory coexistence and liability measures will be put in place before GM Chardon LL maize can be grown commercially in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.
	(4)  what measures she is taking to ensure that farmers wishing to grow GM crops commercially comply with a code of practice based on the EU 0.9 per cent. labelling threshold for GM content; and if she will give them statutory backing.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 29 March 2004
	The GM maize Chardon LL will not be grown commercially in the UK before spring 2005 at the very earliest. The Government aim to have co-existence measures in place before then. We are proposing that GM growers should follow a code of practice which has statutory backing, based on the 0.9 per cent. EU labelling threshold for GM presence. It is envisaged that the code will include measures such as crop separation distances to minimise GM cross-pollination. We will consult stakeholders on the details of this as soon as possible, on whether a threshold below 0.9 per cent. should apply for organic production, and on options for providing compensation to non-GM farmers who incur a financial loss because a GM presence exceeds statutory thresholds.

GM Crops

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the process is for modifying the Part C consent of Chardon LL maize under Directive 90/220/EEC before it can be grown and managed in the United Kingdom.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 29 March 2004
	On 9 March officials wrote to the French Competent Authority, which issued the relevant consents on behalf of the EU Member States, seeking amendments to the consent for Bayer T25 GM maize (Chardon LL) to limit herbicide use with the crop in line with ACRE'S advice. In accordance with Directive 2001/18 the French Competent Authority are required to forward an assessment report to the Commission who will forward it to all the other Member States. A collective EU decision will then be made on the proposal for amending the conditions of the consent.

GM Crops

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the results obtained from the Chardon LL cattle feeding studies which were completed at the Reading University Centre for Dairy Research in 2002.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 23 March 2004
	I understand this cattle feeding study was privately funded research undertaken by Reading university. Publication of the results of studies carried out by the university is a matter for them and those funding the work. However, I understand that the researchers intend to submit their study and the results to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

GM Crops

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether parliamentary approval will be required to allow the commercial growing of GM maize.

Elliot Morley: No. The procedures for assessing individual applications to grow GM crops are set out in EU Directive 2001/18 and in the implementing UK legislation. These were subject to parliamentary scrutiny at the time. The legislation provides for decisions to be taken on individual applications by Government. Final decisions on commercial approvals for GM crops are taken collectively by EU member states.
	The Government's policy on the commercial growing of GM crops was set out in the statement to Parliament on 9 March.

Parrett Catchment Project

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what proposed timetable she has been given for the Parrett sluice;
	(2)  what recent submissions she has received concerning the Parrett Catchment Project.

Elliot Morley: We have not been given a timetable for the Parrett Sluice.
	The Environment Agency are currently investigating and developing options for flood risk mitigation in Bridgewater. Until all options have been evaluated it will not be possible to propose a valid timetable for the Parrett Sluice.
	As to submissions, we received a report on the Parrett Catchment Project in January 2003. Most recently, the Parrett Catchment Project submitted a response to each of the three phases of public consultation run as part of the agri-environment schemes review, a major review of agri-environment schemes in England. In their most recent submission, dated 8 December 2003, they welcomed the inclusion of flood management as a secondary objective of the new Higher Level Scheme that will replace the current Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Schemes; and made a series of detailed comments on the options. We are still evaluating these.

Sea Birds

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to ratify the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The UK will ratify this Agreement on 2 April.

Secondments

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what secondments (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Deloitte & Touche, (c) Ernst & Young and (d) KPMG have made to her Department since 2001; for what (i) periods and (ii) tasks the secondments were made; whether secondments of staff from her Department have been made to those firms; and for what (A) periods and (B) tasks.

Alun Michael: Since 2001 no secondments have been made to Defra from the companies shown at (a) to (d) in the question, nor were there any secondments to those companies.

Sewerage

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the W.S. Atkins' research into the scale and problems of private sewers;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the steps taken since the end of the consultation period on the scale and problem of private sewers and drains in England and Wales.

Elliot Morley: The research on private sewers carried out by W. S. Atkins, was contained in our consultation paper published in July 2003. A copy of that consultation paper, together with a summary of responses, has already been placed in the Library.
	Since the consultation period ended, we have analysed responses and worked with stakeholders to identify the issues which will need to be resolved before a decision on the way forward can be made. We intend to publish our findings in early summer.

Sewerage

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the total amount of solid waste which entered the sewage network in England and Wales in 2003, broken down by (a) household and (b) other sources.

Elliot Morley: Information on the total amount of solid waste entering the sewerage network in England and Wales is not collected for regulatory purposes. Ofwat obtains information on the total actual sewage from the ten water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. Aggregate figures for 2002–03 are as follows:
	
		
			 Sewage—Volumes Megalitres per day 
		
		
			 Uunmeasured household sewage 6,468 
			 Unmeasured non-household sewage 167 
			 Unmeasured sewage (1)6,635 
			 Measured domestic sewage 2849 
			 Trade effluent 757 
			 Waste water returned (2)10,242 
		
	
	(1) This is the sum of unmeasured household and non-household sewage.
	(2) This is the sum of unmeasured sewage, measured domestic sewage and trade effluent.
	
		
			 Volume Megalitres 
		
		
			 Septic tank waste 1,343 
			 Cesspool waste 940

Sewerage

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidents of flooding have occurred in the last three years where raw sewage was involved in the contamination of people's homes and property; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Director General of the Office of Water Services has provided the following figures.
	
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			  Number of incidents 
			 Overloaded sewers (hydraulic) 3,946 2,468 2,809 
			 Other causes 4,213 3,116 3,219 
			 Total 8,159 5,584 6,028 
			 
			 Number of properties
			 Overloaded sewers (hydraulic) 3,228 2,108 2,318 
			 Other causes 3,875 2,849 3,009 
			 Total 7,103 4,957 (3)5,327 
		
	
	(3) Of these nearly 1,100 resulted from heavy summer storms that affected the north of England and for 1,159 properties the flooding affected only uninhabited cellars.
	Notes:
	1. Hydraulic causes: primarily a lack of capacity in the sewerage network.
	2. Other causes: include blockage, collapse etc.

Sewerage

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the (a) cost and (b) environmental impact per volume of sewerage from (i) main sewers, (ii) unadopted sewers, (iii) private sewers, (iv) septic tanks and (v) other non-sewer network-based systems for sewerage disposal; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Information on sewage disposal/treatment costs has been acquired during the W.S. Atkins research into existing private sewers and drains in England and Wales. The information obtained was mainly in relation to operational data i.e. maintenance and repair costs. W.S. Atkins has suggested that private treatment facilities would on average cost more per property per year to properly maintain than if the property was connected directly to a public sewer. If private treatment facilities are not properly maintained then there is a potential for them to cause pollution of their surrounding environment. In such cases, applications can be made under Section 101Aof the Water Industry Act 1991 for connection to the public sewer network.
	The Environment Agency (EA) regulates many activities that have an impact on the environment, including those that have the potential to cause pollution of water. In this respect, the EA has responsibility under the Water Resources Act 1991 (WRA) for the regulation of discharges to controlled waters through the consenting system. If there is no consent, or consents are breached by causing or knowingly permitting any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter controlled waters, this is an offence and the polluter is liable to prosecution under the WRA 1991.

Sewerage

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the current state of sewerage infrastructure, including the (a) physical extent of the maintenance and repair backlog and (b) expected cost of these repairs.

Elliot Morley: I am informed by the Director General of Water Services, that the current serviceability of the sewerage network is stable.
	Sewerage companies are under a statutory duty under section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991, enforceable by the Secretary of State or the Director General of Water Services, to ensure the effectual drainage of their area.
	Sewerage Undertakers will shortly be submitting to the Director General of Water Services, final business plans for the period of 2005–10. These plans will include capital maintenance to maintain the serviceability of their assets, and to sustain levels of service to their customers. The draft business plans submitted by the companies in August 2003 propose costs of £1.2 billion to maintain sewerage infrastructure in the period 2005–10.

Sheep Tagging

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the (a) usefulness and (b) costs of sheep tagging; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Eartags are an important means of identification for sheep. They allow the holding on which an animal was born and where it has moved from to be identified. This is important when dealing with the tracing and control of animal disease.
	The Department produced a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) to look at the costs involved with implementing EU proposals on sheep and goat identification which was lodged in the House Library. EU Regulation 21/2004 was adopted in December and the Department will be producing a further RIA on the new EU requirements before they are implemented in July 2005.

Single Payments

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on gold plating of the standard form for single tax payments.

Alun Michael: Our policy is to keep administrative burdens to a minimum and to avoid gold plating. Defra and the RPA are working closely on the development of the new Single Farm Payments Scheme and will ensure that application forms contain only the information necessary to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements in line with Government policy on better regulation.

Special Areas of Conservation

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects (a) Bolton Fell Moss and (b) Solway Moss to be designated as candidate Special Areas of Conservation.

Ben Bradshaw: Public consultation has been completed for both sites but there remain unresolved objections which require further consideration. Discussions are currently taking place with the objectors. The Secretary of State will decide whether to submit these sites to the European Commission, as candidate Special Areas of Conservation, when the discussions are concluded.

Swill Feeding

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many replies her Department received in response to the consultation document that preceded the ban on swill feeding; and what percentage of respondents favoured a ban.

Ben Bradshaw: The final total number of responses, including the late responses, received was 357. Responses were not clear cut as the consultation asked a number of questions but, taking account of all the responses, there were 37 per cent. against the ban, 32 per cent. in favour and 31 per cent. expressing no preference. Those in favour included major organisations representing widespread interests. They included, among others, the British Pig Association, the National Farmers Union, the National Consumer Council, and the Meat and Livestock Commission.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Iraq

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the extent is of British companies' involvement in the reconstruction of Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: British companies are playing an important role in the reconstruction process of Iraq. In the recent tranche of contracts worth a total of $5 billion, British companies in joint venture with US companies have won substantial contracts in the Electricity and Public Works and Water sectors, worth in excess of $1.5 billion.
	My hon. Friend was in Basra and so knows British companies are also active in the banking, ports, construction, telecoms, security, legal services and consultancy sectors.

Iraq

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Governments of countries neighbouring Iraq about the cross-border movements of terrorist groups.

Bill Rammell: We have regular contacts with Iraq's neighbours about cross-border movements of terrorist groups. The Coalition Provisional Authority is currently working on a phased plan to tighten border security, beginning with the Iranian border.

Iraq

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the distribution of the Iraqi Oil for Food money and accrued interest.

Bill Rammell: UN Security Council Resolution 1483 established the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) as a single account to handle all proceeds from the sale of Iraqi oil, all remaining monies from the Oil For Food (OFF) programme, and all unencumbered Iraqi overseas assets. The DFI is used to fund the Iraqi Budget and additional emergency expenditures authorised by the joint Coalition-Iraqi Programme Review Board.
	In addition to the $1 billion transferred from OFF accounts to the DFI at its inception, all uncommitted OFF monies were transferred to the DFI following the hand-over of responsibility for ongoing OFF contracts to the Iraqi Ministry of Trade and the Coalition Provisional Authority on 21 November 2003. The accounts of the DFI as of 5 March 2004 show that this transfer amounted to $2,192,314,373.89.
	The DFI is an interest-bearing account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and all interest earned by the account is re-invested. The accounts of the DFI, the Iraqi Budget and minutes of the Program Review Board are available on-line at the CPA website: www.cpa-iraq.org.

Iraq

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the basic constitutional rules and decision making systems for the Iraqi Transitional National Assembly; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The principles of the transitional political structures in Iraq, including the Transitional National Assembly are set out in the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL), which was signed by the Iraqi Governing Council on 8 March. A copy of the TAL has been placed in the Library of the House. The signing of the TAL was a major step forward for the political process in Iraq.

Iraq

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the membership of the Iraqi Transitional National Assembly, including the members' ethnicity; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) was signed by the Iraqi Governing Council on 8 March. The TAL establishes the principles of the transitional political structures and sets out the timetable for the elections processes, including membership of the National Assembly. Article 30 states:
	C "The National Assembly shall be elected in accordance with an electoral law and a political parties law. The electoral law shall aim to achieve the goal of having women constitute no less than one quarter of the members of the National Assembly and of having fair representation for all communities in Iraq, including the Turcomans, Chaldo-Assyrians and others."
	D "Elections for the National Assembly shall take place by 31 December 2004 if possible and in any case no later than 31 January 2005."
	The Iraqis have invited the UN to re-engage in Iraq and assist with the elections processes. We welcome the return to Iraq of the Head of the UN Elections Assistance Division, Carina Perelli, to advise on the establishment of an Independent Elections Commission by May.

Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Iraqi Governing Council's proposals to replace the country's civil family laws with Islamic Sharia Law.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Joan Ruddock) on 9 March 2004, Official Report, column 1435W.
	Governing Council Resolution 137 on family law has been withdrawn by the Governing Council. It has no legal status.

Iraq

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are being taken by the international bodies involved in the reconstruction of Iraq to protect the interests of the Mandaean religious community.

Bill Rammell: The Coalition is working hard with the Iraqis to strengthen the Iraqi security and judiciary sectors to provide law and order and to protect the rights of all Iraqis. The fundamental rights of all Iraqis are laid out in Article 12 of the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL), which was agreed by the Iraqi Governing Council on 8 March 2004. A copy of the TAL has been placed in the Library of the House.

Spain

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the new Spanish Government; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs spoke with Prime Minister-elect Zapatero's principal Foreign Affairs Advisor, Miguel Angel Moratinos, on 15 March to congratulate him on the PSOE's election victory. Officials have also been in contact with members of the government-elect.

Counter-terrorism (EU)

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the measures taken in the EU on the struggle against terrorism.

Denis MacShane: In the wake of the 11 September attacks, the EU adopted an action plan on counter-terrorism, which last week's European Council updated and extended.
	Much of the old action plan had been achieved. A Framework Decision on Terrorism has tightened counter terrorist legislation in those countries which had not previously faced a terrorist threat. A European Arrest Warrant allows quicker extradition from one member state to another. A system has been established collectively to freeze terrorist assets. Last week's Council decided that we need rapidly to complete implementation of the measures already agreed, approved a wide ranging package of measures designed to enhance further our citizens' security, and endorsed the creation of an EU counter-terrorism co-ordinator.

EU Constitution

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on prospects for the proposed Constitution for the European Union.

Denis MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Mr. Shepherd).

United Nations Reform

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on reform of the United Nations.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mr. Lazarowicz).

United Nations Reform

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Nations reform.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mr. Lazarowicz).

Eritrea

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the situation in Eritrea.

Chris Mullin: The internal situation in Eritrea is stable. However, we do have concerns about the human rights situation in the country. We have made this clear to the Eritrean authorities.

Afghanistan

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest security situation in Afghanistan.

Mike O'Brien: The security situation in Afghanistan remains fragile, particularly in the South and East. Sporadic attacks continue against both international and Afghan forces, as well as the UN and NGOs. Fighting between Afghan forces also occurs, as seen in a recent incident in Herat that resulted in the death of the Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister.
	The international community, including the UK, is responding with increased commitments of troops and resources, including by extending the network of Provincial Reconstruction Teams. In the long-term, Afghanistan must be able to maintain its own security, through an effective national army and police force. Work to recruit and train those has been under way for some time, with the UK's active support and involvement.

Serbia/Montenegro

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Serbia and Montenegro.

Denis MacShane: Following recent elections, the new Serbian Government are focussing on their domestic reform programme. We welcome their commitment to closer European integration through the state union with Montenegro.
	We continue to put pressure on Belgrade to engage constructively over Kosovo and renew co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

Israel

Claire Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government regarding continued incursions onto Palestinian land.

Bill Rammell: Phase One of the roadmap provides for a progressive withdrawal of the Israeli security forces from areas occupied since 28 September 2000. We have urged the Israeli Government on many occasions to meet their obligations under the roadmap without delay. Israel is entitled to take steps to ensure its security, and safeguard itself against terrorism, but only within international law.
	We regard the construction of the Israeli barrier on Palestinian land as unlawful and have made this clear both to the Israeli Government and at the UN. Most recently, following the assassination of Sheikh Yassin on 22 March, my noble Friend, the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean made it clear to the Israeli Ambassador, Zvi Shtauber, that the excessive use of force in the Occupied Territories does nothing to improve prospects for peace.

Arms Control

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to take forward work on arms control as part of the UK's (a) chairmanship of the G8 and (b) presidency of the European Council in 2005.

Denis MacShane: The United Kingdom will assume the chairmanship of the G8 in January 2005, and the Presidency of the EU in July 2005. The Government have yet to finalise their priorities for the assumption of these key roles. We will, however, wish to continue work already under way on arms control issues and, in particular, to take forward work on implementing coherent strategies on arms control and counter-proliferation in both fora. As was made clear by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in his statement of 25 February, counter-proliferation issues remain a high priority for the Government (Official Report, columns 46–49WS).

Arms Exports

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total value of British arms exports to (a) Israel and (b) the occupied territories was in each of the last five years.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	Since May 1997, the Government have published an annual report on strategic export controls containing details of all goods, including components, authorised for export from the UK and to which destinations. The total value of SIEL licences issued for each destination is recorded in these reports. Copies of the annual report (up to and including 2002) are available from the Libraries of the House. Details of export licences approved in 2003 will be published later this year in the 2003 annual report.
	Concerning quantities exported, HM Customs and Excise and DTI compliance officers check that the terms of the licence have been respected but do not store data on volumes of actual exports which have been vetted and licensed.

Departmental Buildings

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) renovation and (b) maintenance projects on buildings (i) owned and (ii) rented by his Department were undertaken in each of the last five years; and what the associated costs were of each.

Bill Rammell: There have been no renovation projects carried out on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in the UK during the past five years. The cost of individual maintenance projects can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the total cost of maintenance of the FCO UK Estate during the last five years was:
	
		£
		
			  Owned Rented 
		
		
			 1999 7,366,086 161,904 
			 2000 5,360,579 375,679 
			 2001 8,882,212 746,222 
			 2002 6,035,173 325,632 
			 2003 6,579,242 608,547 
		
	
	The details given relate only to the FCO estate in the UK. Details of renovation and maintenance of the overseas estate are held at the individual posts concerned and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EU Border Management Agency

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Britain's preferred location for the headquarters of the new EU Border Management Agency is.

Denis MacShane: The UK is still considering options for the location for the headquarters of the new EU Border Management Agency.

Human Rights and Democracy Projects

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy projects on (a) the prevention of torture in Georgia and (b) the campaign against torture in Ukraine; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(2)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy project on (a) improving the functioning of the political institutions and reinforcing the mechanisms of protection of human rights and (b) the support of the Moscow School of Political Studies; and what assessment he has made of the projects.

Bill Rammell: Decisions about the individual projects funded by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights are made by the European Commission and by local EC delegations. They are also responsible for managing and evaluating the projects. The EU Committee on Human Rights and Democracy allocates EU budget resources to projects in third countries and is responsible for evaluating the impact of the fund. The UK is represented on the Committee by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU.

Human Rights and Democracy Projects

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the 2002 European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights micro projects in (a) Georgia, (b) Russia and (c) Ukraine were; how his Department was involved in the micro projects; and what assessment he has made of them.

Bill Rammell: The European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights micro projects scheme is for projects between 10,000 and 100,000 euros (£6,689 and £66,890). These are selected through calls for proposals conducted locally by EC delegations who manage and evaluate the projects.
	Priority themes and budget allocations are set by the EU Committee on Human Rights and Democracy on which the UK is represented by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU. Local British Embassies also keep in touch with the local Commission delegation.

Iran

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest assessment of Iran's capability to produce weapons of mass destruction.

Denis MacShane: We continue to have concerns about Iran's work on uranium enrichment, which, under the agreement signed by Iran and the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom on 21 October 2003, Iran undertook to suspend. We welcome Iran's recent decision to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to have access to Iranian nuclear facilities, and hope that Iran will co-operate fully with them.
	We judge that Iran also has the capability and the facilities to produce both chemical and biological weapons. Iran is a State Party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. Upon accession to the CWC, Iran declared that it had produced chemical weapons in the past and that it had destroyed them.

Iran

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on human rights in Iran, with reference to the recent election.

Bill Rammell: Over the last 10 years Iran has made progress towards greater political freedom. But the flawed parliamentary elections held on 20 February were a clear setback.
	On 23 February, EU Foreign Ministers expressed their deep regret and disappointment that large numbers of candidates, including many sitting deputies, had been prevented from standing, thus making impossible a genuine democratic choice by the Iranian people. For elections in any country to be regarded as free and fair, electors must have a chance to vote for candidates with a range of views.

Kashmir

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had in Pakistan regarding talks to resolve the Kashmir issue and continue the work on improving Indo-Pakistan relations.

Jack Straw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Luff) earlier today.
	We warmly welcome the recent talks between India and Pakistan where they agreed an agenda and timetable for substantive talks, including on the issue of Kashmir. During my recent visits to India and Pakistan, I congratulated President Musharraf, Deputy Prime Minister Advani and Foreign Ministers Kasuri and Sinha on this breakthrough and assured them of our full support as they take this process forward. We recognise that these talks, due to begin after the Indian general election, will be a step in a long and difficult process. We hope that they will, in due course, lead to a durable settlement of all the outstanding issues, including Kashmir.

Korean Peninsula

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with his Chinese counterpart on nuclear proliferation on the Korean Peninsula.

Denis MacShane: We have a regular dialogue, at both ministerial and official level, with the Government of China on a range of issues of mutual concern. This includes discussion of proliferation on the Korean Peninsula.

Middle East

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the removal of funds by the Israeli Government from Palestinian and Jordanian banks in Ramallah in raids in February.

Bill Rammell: The Government have received accounts of the Israeli action against banks in Ramallah in February from both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities. The Government understand the need to stop the financing of terrorist groups but are concerned that this action may undermine steps being taken on this issue by the Palestinian Authority.

Poppy Production (Afghanistan)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress his Department is making in meeting the target of cutting poppy production in Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: The UK is supporting the Afghan Government in their efforts to eliminate poppy production in Afghanistan.
	We have committed £70 million over three years and have a dedicated counter narcotics team in Kabul. According to the United Nations annual poppy crop survey in Afghanistan, the level of opium cultivation in Afghanistan in 2003 increased to 80,000 hectares from 74,000 hectares in 2002. While unwelcome, this is not unexpected. Experience of counter-narcotic policies in other countries, such as Pakistan and Thailand where production started from a much lower level and where there was greater central state control, shows production tends to increase before it decreases.
	Increasing security and governance remains key to progress.

CABINET OFFICE

BACS

Brian White: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress his Department has made to manage the changeover from the Bank Automated Clearing System to the new BACSTEL-IP system for electronic payments.

Douglas Alexander: The Cabinet Office is working with software suppliers and is drawing up a migration plan as recommended in the guidance issued by the Office of the Paymaster General (OPG) to change over the Bank Automated clearing system to the new BACSTEL-IP system by December 2005.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Digital Television

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant) of 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1293W, on Digital Television when she plans to undertake a public consultation on the timetable for switching off analogue television services.

Estelle Morris: We are working with stakeholders including consumer groups, to have a better understanding of the process of switchover and the options available and we will make an announcement about consultation in due course.

Honours (Rugby)

David Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 316W, on Sports (Honours), what the reasons are for the differences between the number of honours awarded over the last five years for sporting involvement in rugby league and rugby union; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: Decisions made by the honours committee are made on the basis of individual merit. I cannot comment on individual cases.

National Lottery

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps have been taken in response to the National Audit Office Report by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, to improve the distribution of Lottery money across the regions; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: NESTA has recruited a National and Regional Co-ordinator to develop and implement a strategic approach to ensuring equality of access to NESTA's programmes across the UK.
	NESTA has commissioned research to examine how its processes might be refined to address regional imbalance and the report options for action will be considered by NESTA's Board of Trustees in April.

Physical Education

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of schoolchildren in Taunton participated in two or more hours of quality physical education and exercise in each week in the latest six months for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Impact of School Sport Partnerships' (published in March 2004 by DfES and DCMS) set out the early funding of the 2003–04 PE, School Sport and Club Links survey. Overall 61 per cent. of pupils in phase 1 school sport partnership schools spend at least two hours in a typical week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum. A copy of the report has been placed in the House of Commons Library. The results of the full survey will be published in April.

Sport and Physical Activity Board

David Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions the cross-departmental Sport and Physical Activity Board has met.

Richard Caborn: The Activity Co-ordination Team, formerly the Sport and Physical Activity Board, which I jointly chair with my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health has met on five occasions since July 2003.

DEFENCE

Challenger 2

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Challenger 2 tanks he plans to sell; and to which countries.

Adam Ingram: There are currently no plans to sell Challenger 2 tanks.

Defence Medicine Centre

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reason is for the cancellation of the plan to develop a Royal College of Defence Medicine Centre at Selly Oak, Birmingham; and what alternative plans there are to provide for the centre.

Ivor Caplin: We remain committed to developing the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine in the Birmingham area. Use of the Selly Oak site for this purpose has not been ruled out and remains one of a number of options currently under consideration.

Gulf War Syndrome

Paul Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to carry out checks on results following the publication of the research study of miscarriages and birth defects amongst the children of Gulf War veterans; and if he will set up an independent inquiry into all reports of serious health problems amongst veterans.

Ivor Caplin: holding answer 29 March 2004
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 24 March 2004, Official Report, column WS44. In addition, the researchers have identified some additional work that is being undertaken within the scope of the original research. With regard to miscarriage, the researchers are looking into measures of infertility as this often relates to early miscarriage. On renal anomalies, a more in-depth study of the diagnosis within this group is being conducted.
	The Government are not convinced that an independent inquiry would help. The possibility that we may look again at this matter has not been ruled out but, in the present circumstances, it is only through the programme of research initiated by the Government that we are ever likely to be able to establish the causes of Gulf veterans' illnesses.

HIV/AIDS

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what HIV/AIDS programme is in place for British armed forces who spend time in sub-Saharan African countries.

Adam Ingram: Guidance on HIV/AIDS for members of the Armed Forces is based on guidelines issued by the UK Chief Medical Officer's Expert Advisory Group on AIDS. The prevention and management of HIV infection is part of a general strategy for the promotion of good sexual health and for the protection of personnel against blood borne viruses.
	Before deployment to sub-Saharan Africa Service personnel receive a health brief and are warned that the HIV/AIDS virus is a major medical threat. The educational message for operational deployments makes it clear that sexual abstinence is the only safe form of action with risk reduction only as a last resort.
	Service personnel are instructed in the use of condoms as a means of protection against STDs, including HIV/AIDS, as well as a form of contraception. On occasions where condoms are not readily available, they may be distributed to Service personnel.
	Service personnel who think they have been at risk are encouraged to consult their medical officer for discussion about the virus and possible referral for testing. Alternatively, Service personnel can also go directly to an NHS STI clinic for testing and/or counselling.

Iraq

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efforts are being made by the Iraqi Survey Group to use the serial numbers on weapons found in Iraq to trace (a) where and (b) when the weapons were made.

Geoff Hoon: The Iraqi Survey Group (ISG) is responsible for the assessment of Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction programmes. In general, the ISG does not have a requirement to use serial numbers to establish the origins and age of weapons.

Iraq

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqi security personnel have been trained by British forces; and how many Iraqi army personnel are operational in the British sector of control.

Adam Ingram: As at 25 March 2004 there were around 36,800 Iraqi security personnel in the Multinational Division (Southeast) area, of whom 750 are members of the New Iraqi Army.
	Some 14,600 personnel have completed at least basic training.

Operational Vehicles

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many operational (a) Challenger 2 tanks, (b) warrior vehicles, (c) FU430, (d) Sabre, (e) Spartan and (f) AS90 vehicles there are; what percentage of the fleet this represents in each case; and what percentage of target availability this represents in each case.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Stock Reduction

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the changes to stock reduction targets for slow-moving stock and consumables have been, following the undertaking by his Department in its response to the 13th report of the Committee of Public Accounts in Session 2002–03, MoD: Progress in Reducing Stocks, to revisit them.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 29 March 2004
	Since June 2003, stock reduction targets for slow-moving stock and consumables have been re-visited. As a result of this work, financial provision targets have been replaced by actual stock disposal targets at gross book value. These revised targets were disaggregated and issued in January 2004 to individual budget holders and are being monitored to ensure that the progress required is being made.
	The new targets are detailed in the table:
	
		Million
		
			  Disposal targets 
		
		
			 2003–04 259.4 
			 2004–05 180.9 
			 2005–06 153.0 
			 Total 593.3

Departmental Timber Purchases

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the purchases of wood originating from Tasmania the Department has made in each year since 1997.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 26 March 2004
	The Ministry of Defence requires suppliers of timber to obtain evidence that the timber supplied complies with Government policy. The country of origin is not recorded separately and therefore the information requested is not available.

Ulster Defence Regiment (Records)

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the search records of the (a) 7 City of Belfast battalion of the Ulster Defence Regiment, (b) 10 City of Belfast battalion of the Ulster Defence Regiment, (c) 3 County Down battalion of the Ulster Defence Regiment and (d) regular military units operating in their tactical area of responsibility for the night of 17 February 1978 are held; by what method they are stored; and whether they are a matter of public record.

Adam Ingram: The search records of all military units in Northern Ireland are held manually in paper format in the Northern Ireland Search Report Archive at 25 Engineer Regiment, Antrim. Reports of any searches, which did not produce a find, are routinely destroyed after six years when the statute of limitation for claims runs out. Records of productive searches may be held indefinitely in the archives and are subsequently reviewed in accordance with the terms of the Public Records Act, 1958 and 1967. However, I can confirm that there are no search records held prior to 1990.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Register of Interests

Bob Spink: To ask the Leader of the House what the requirements are on officials in his Office to declare current interests; and what register of interests is kept for his officials.

Peter Hain: The Civil Service Management Code sets out the requirement for civil servants declaring any conflict of interest (http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/civilservice/managementcode/index.asp).
	Details of individual interests declared and of approvals to undertake activities outlined in these codes of conduct are held on personal files.

TRANSPORT

Speed Cameras

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (a) how many speed cameras there were and (b) what amount of revenue was raised, in each region in each year since 1997.

David Jamieson: My Department holds information on speed cameras operated under the Speed Camera Programme for funding of approved cameras from fixed fine receipts, which began with seven Safety Camera Partnership areas in England and Wales in April 2000, increasing to 14 in 2001 and to 28 during 2002. The numbers of approved fixed and mobile speed camera sites for those partnership areas are:
	
		
			 As at endof year Fixedcamera sites Mobilecamera sites Total 
		
		
			 2000–01 311 242 553 
			 2001–02 706 541 1,247 
			 2002–03 1,387 1,528 2,915 
		
	
	My Department plans shortly to publish information on the number of safety camera locations for all Safety Camera Partnerships in England and Wales together with collision and casualty information.
	Prior to the Safety Camera Programme, police and highway authorities have used cameras since 1991, under the Road Traffic Act 1991 and the Department of Transport Circular 1/92 "Use of technology for traffic enforcement: Guidance on deployment". My Department does not hold information centrally on cameras which are not part of the Safety Camera Programme.
	The conditional offer fixed penalty fines for speeding and traffic light offences from the partnerships, from the audited figures available for 2000–01 and 2001–02 were:
	
		£
		
			  Fine revenue 
		
		
			 2000–01  
			 Cleveland 898,960 
			 Essex 1,843,480 
			 Lincolnshire 627,000 
			 Nottingham 555,360 
			 Northants 2,167,840 
			 South Wales 1,567,000 
			 Thames Valley 2,239,120 
			  9,898,760 
			   
			 2001–02  
			 Cleveland 855,480 
			 Essex 3,524,120 
			 Lincolnshire 1,059,680 
			 Nottingham 812,640 
			 Northants 2,967,640 
			 South Wales 1,876,240 
			 Thames Valley 4,672,880 
			 Cambridgeshire 135,420 
			 Derbyshire 654,000 
			 Lancashire 1,197,180 
			 Norfolk 160,140 
			 North Wales 648,780 
			 Staffordshire 631,260 
			 Warwickshire 204,300 
			 Total 19,302,536 
		
	
	Note:
	Separate figures are not available for speeding offences only.
	Information on 2002–03 fine revenue will be available shortly.

Speed Cameras

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras have been erected in each county in England in each year since 1997.

David Jamieson: My Department plans shortly to publish information on the safety camera sites in all Safety Camera Partnerships, which currently cover 38 of the 43 police authority areas in England and Wales. Information is not held centrally on safety cameras operated by police and highway authorities which do not participate in the partnership scheme.

Bicycle Helmets

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assistance his Department and its predecessor Departments have given to the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust in each of the last five years; upon what conditions such assistance was given; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: We work closely with the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust (BHIT), including the provision of grant aid for initiatives which contribute to the Government's cycling objectives. I helped launch the BHIT's "Guidelines for Setting up Community Based Bicycle Helmet Programmes" in May 2002. They are the result of three years work funded by a joint package with the Department of Health of £100,000. BHIT also received funding to produce a similar School Based set of Guidelines, which were sent to all schools in July 2003.
	The BHIT has received further funding from the Department of Health for three years. The DoH gave BHIT £32,000 in 2002–03, £25,000 in 2003–04, and will be giving £20,000 in 2004–05 for their Helmet Your Head project. The project was funded as part of the DoH's target for the Health Service to contribute to accident prevention and especially injury reduction among children.
	We have given grant aid to other organisations who are pursuing initiatives which support the aims of our road safety strategy, such as RoSPA, for their "Guidelines for Child Cycle Training" and the CTC for their "Adult Cycle Training Schemes Guidelines".

Buses

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what figures he uses for the cost of (a) a bendy bus and (b) a conventional double decker bus when calculating grants to local authorities for their transport plans.

Kim Howells: Allocations for local transport funding in England (outside London) are calculated to reflect the achievement of each local transport authority in delivering the aims and objectives in its Local Transport Plan. Information on the type of buses used by local operators does not form part of the calculation.

Buses

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) British built and (b) German built buses have caught fire and burnt out in the last year in the UK.

Kim Howells: We only have records relating to six incidents in 2003—these were cases where the police asked for the Department to help with investigations.
	Five of these cases involved British-built vehicles, and all were caused by maintenance defects.
	We have no record of any German-built vehicles being involved in fires during 2003.

Buses

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulatory action he is proposing to improve safety on bendy buses.

Kim Howells: We do not as yet know exactly what has caused the problems with these buses, so it is too early to speculate on whether any additional regulatory action may be necessary.
	We are monitoring the situation closely and will be reviewing the situation both with the vehicle manufacturers and the bus operators. In the meantime all the potentially at-risk vehicles have been taken out of service pending the completion of remedial work.

Buses

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most recent average occupancy figure is of the London bendy buses.

Kim Howells: The average number of passengers travelling at any one time in an articulated "bendy bus" in London was 24, when surveyed by Transport for London in mid 2003.

Buses

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many seats a London bendy bus has.

Kim Howells: The articulated "bendy buses" on services in London have 49 passenger seats. There is also provision for a passenger in a wheelchair.

Driving Test Hazard Perception Test

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what evaluation of the recently introduced Driving Test Hazard Perception Test his Department has carried out; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what research his Department carried out in preparation for the introduction of the Driving Test Hazard Perception Test; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what research his Department has carried out on the reaction of people from different age groups to the new Driving Test Hazard Perception Test; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what plans his Department has to modify the content of format of the new Driving Test Hazard Perception Test; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Hazard perception testing for learner car, lorry and bus drivers, motorcyclists and prospective driving instructors was introduced in November 2002 as part of the qualifying theory test. The pass mark for the hazard perception part of the test has been progressively raised since introduction as instructors and their pupils became accustomed to the new assessment.
	Following feedback from candidates that they did not fully understand what they were required to do in the hazard perception part of the theory test, the tutorial video that candidates are shown at the start of that part of the test was revised last December. Since then, the pass rates for the hazard perception part of the test have increased significantly:
	
		Percentage
		
			  November 2002 December 2003 February2004 
		
		
			 Car 79 69 80 
			 Motorcycle 93 81 89 
			 Lorry 80 69 79 
			 Bus 80 66 76 
			 Driving Instructor 66 56 64 
		
	
	Research over a 10 year period by the Transport Research Laboratory into the importance of hazard awareness in collision prevention indicated that performance in tests of hazard perception improved as experience is gained. The research showed that experienced drivers performed better than new drivers, who in turn performed better than learner drivers.
	The film clips used in the hazard perception assessment were trialled before introduction to determine their effectiveness at discriminating between drivers on the ground of their experience. Calibration trials and analysis then took place to identify an appropriate mix of clips to ensure individual tests were of similar difficulty.
	Customer satisfaction surveys and focus groups conducted by the Driving Standards Agency explore customer reactions to all aspects of the testing process, including the hazard perception assessment. The research does not differentiate between test candidates based upon their age.
	We have no plans to change the format of the hazard perception assessment. We do, however, plan to extend the computerised assessment, together with multiple-choice questions of knowledge and understanding, to the existing standards supervision for all registered driving instructors later this year.

Focus Groups and Opinion Polls

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of total expenditure by his Department on (a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in each year from 199596 to 200304; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Estimated out-turn in 200304, will be 493,065 on focus groups of which 296,070 relates to the consultation for the white paper on the future of air transport and 156,595 to the THINK! road safety publicity campaign. In 200203, the Department spent 53,439 on focus groups all of which was in support of THINK!. In addition 50,792 was spent on opinion polls over a 16 month period straddling both the financial years 200203 and 200304.
	Costs for earlier years before the Department for Transport was formed could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Research is widely used to inform the development, delivery and evaluation of policy and publicity. Focus group work to inform the development of our long term 14 million a year THINK! road safety publicity campaign, which keeps road safety high in the publics consciousness, involves testing attitudes and creative ideas. The end results of any focus group research that we carry out in this context are in the public domain in the form of THINK! campaign material.
	All contracts are let in accordance with agreed tendering procedures and are subject to the usual rules that spending should represent good value for money.

Motor Insurance and Driving Licences

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to require motorists to display (a) proof of insurance and (b) a licence alongside their tax discs.

David Jamieson: The Government are determined to tackle the menace of uninsured driving. We have commissioned Professor David Greenaway to conduct an independent review of the motor insurance industry with special reference to uninsured driving. The report is due to be delivered to Ministers next month and the recommendations for reducing the level of uninsured driving will be examined in detail. Although not ruling out the display of insurance discs we would not wish to pre-empt the findings of the review and intend to await the outcome before deciding on the next steps.

Motorways

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many designated parking areas there are for police patrol vehicles alongside motorway hard shoulders; what the total cost of constructing such areas has been; and how many further such areas are planned.

Kim Howells: There are 358 designated parking areas for police patrol vehicles alongside motorway hard shoulders on England's motorway network. Many of the designated parking areas were constructed as part of motorway building schemes and it is not possible to provide the total cost of constructing them.
	Currently, one further designated parking area is planned for construction on the M56 in Lancashire. The requirement for additional areas is kept under review through regular liaison meetings with the relevant police authorities.

Network Rail

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter of comfort given to Network Rail on its refinancing programme through bonds.

Tony McNulty: A draft of the comfort letter was attached to the Secretary of State's minute to the House of 4 February 2004 about new non-statutory contingent liabilities in support of Network Rail's Medium Term Note borrowing programme.

Rail Services (Kent)

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of passengers travelling from the Medway Towns to Cannon Street; what assessment he has made of the likely impact on commuter services from the Medway Towns to Cannon Street of the Strategic Rail Authority's Integrated Kent Franchise proposals; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Strategic Rail Authority regarding the current fast Medway Towns to Victoria service in the context of the Strategic Rail Authority's proposed Integrated Kent Franchise.

Tony McNulty: Proposals for the detailed train service specification for the Integrated Kent Franchise are currently being consulted upon by the Strategic Rail Authority. Recommended service patterns and its impacts on existing services will be considered following the completion of the consultation.

Rail Services (Kent)

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Strategic Rail Authority has to improve rail infrastructure in north Kent; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: There is considerable work under way in north Kent, as part of the power supply upgrade (Southern Region New Trains Programme). This will enable operation in north Kent of Class 375 and 376 trains. The train maintenance depot at Slade Green is being refurbished. Security enhancements are being made where trains are stabled.

Rail Services (Kent)

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many seats (a) are available to commuters from the Medway Towns to London and (b) are estimated will be available under the Strategic Rail Authority's proposed Integrated Kent Franchise at peak times as defined by the Strategic Rail Authority in their Integrated Kent Franchise proposals.

Tony McNulty: There are over 20,000 seats available on services from the Medway Towns to London in the morning peak and over 21,000 from London to the Medway Towns in the evening peak.
	The number of seats available under the proposed Integrated Kent Franchise will depend on the type of rolling stock ordered for channel tunnel rail link domestic services.

WALES

Civil Servants

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants were employed in the Welsh Office in each year between 1979 and 1999.

Don Touhig: The Welsh Office ceased to exist on 1 July 1999. The number of civil servants employed in the Welsh Office between 1979 and 1998 are shown in the table:
	
		
			  Total employed 
		
		
			 1979 2,600 
			 1980 2,363 
			 1981 2,279 
			 1982 2,201 
			 1983 2,176 
			 1984 2,206 
			 1985 2,283 
			 1986 2,250 
			 1987 2,208 
			 1988 2,185 
			 1989 2,220 
			 1990 2,352 
			 1991 2,400 
			 1992 2,407 
			 1993 2,408 
			 1994 2,334 
			 1995 2,194 
			 1996 2,133 
			 1997 2,178 
			 1998 2,269

Civil Servants

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants for whom his Department is responsible there were in each year since 1997; and what the cost of salary payments was in each year.

Don Touhig: Staff numbers for the Wales Office, since its establishment on 1 July 1999, are shown in table 5.7 of the Wales Departmental Report 2003 (CM 5928), a copy of which can be obtained from the Library of the House. Paybill data are contained within Annex 3 of the same publication.

Computer Misuse

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of computer misuse there were in (a) the predecessor to his Department in each year between 1997 and 1999 and (b) his Department in 2003, broken down by category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action.

Don Touhig: There are no records of any computer misuse occurring at the Welsh Office between the years 1997 and 1999.
	There was one incident of possible misuse in 2003 involving prohibited sites. The person involved left the Wales Office before the investigation was completed so no disciplinary action resulted.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Conferences

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many conferences he and his Ministers attended in the UK and abroad in the year to 29 February; and what the cost of attending was, broken down by (a) travel costs, (b) food and drink, (c) accommodation and (d) miscellaneous costs.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 12 March 2004
	The Cabinet Office publishes an annual publication that provides details of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers and expenditure incurred. Copies of the publication are available in the Libraries of the House. The annual publication covering 200304 will be published in due course. All DFID ministerial travel is undertaken in line with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.
	As Secretary of State for International Development I attended one conference in the UK in February. The previous Secretary of State also attended a conference in June as did I when I was Minister of State. Both of these were in London and did not incur any cost.
	The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has attended three conferences in the UK in the year to 29 February. Only one of these incurred an additional cost to the Department of 37 for a train fare. The other two were held in Central London.

Conferences

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) non-ministerial staff and (b) special advisers in his Department attended conferences in the UK and abroad in the year to 29 February; and what the cost of attending was, broken down by (i) travel costs, (ii) food and drink, (iii) accommodation and (iv) miscellaneous costs.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 12 March 2004
	It is not possible to provide information on non-ministerial staff attendance at conferences either in the UK or abroad without incurring disproportionate cost, apart from the following information:
	A special adviser has attended one conference in the UK. The total cost of attending this was 895. This cost included accommodation and food. Travel cost approximately 20.

Employment Agencies

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the employment agencies which his Department has used to supply temporary staff in each financial year since 199697 to the most recent date for which figures are available.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development has used the following employment agencies to supply temporary administrative staff for all of the financial years from 199697 to 200304:
	Josephine Sammons, 46 Fish Street Hill, EC3R 6ER
	Office Angels, 7175 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1W OQU
	Adecco, 133 Victoria Street, SW1V 6RD
	Manpower, Kingsgate Parade, 6674 Victoria Street, SW1E 6SH
	Reed Employment Services, Fairgate House, 78 New Oxford Street, WC1A 1HB
	Kelly Services, 1st Floor, Princes Mall, G74 1LB
	Margaret Hodge Recruitment (formerly Joyce Young Recruitment), Floor 10, Plaza Tower, G741LW
	DFID has also used:
	Select Appointments, 300310 Vauxhall Bridge Road, SW1V 1AA, from 200001 to 200304.

Human Rights and Democracy Projects

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy projects on (a) inter-communal youth centres in Georgia, (b) access to justice for ethnic minorities in Russia and (c) educating indigenous people in Siberia; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(2)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy project on improving indigenous multiculturalism through education in (a) Russia, (b) Ukraine, (c) Georgia, (d) Armenia, (e) Croatia, (f) Serbia, (g) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (h) Kosovo, (i) Bulgaria and (j) Poland; and what assessment he has made of the results of each project;
	(3)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy projects on the prevention of torture in (a) Russia, (b) the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, (c) Serbia, (d) Bulgaria, (e) Hungary, (f) Poland, (g) Latvia, (h) Lithuania and (i) Estonia; and what assessment he has made of each project.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	Decisions about the individual projects funded by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights are made by the European Commission and by local EC delegations. They are also responsible for managing and evaluating the projects. The EU Committee on Human Rights and Democracy allocates EU budget resources to projects in third countries and is responsible for evaluating the impact of the fund. The UK is represented on the Committee by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU.

Human Rights and Democracy Projects

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy project to (a) reinforce diversity in Russia and (b) deliver an information campaign on the fight against racism and xenophobia in Russia; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(2)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy's project on reinforcing federalism, democracy and mechanisms of protection of human rights in Russia; and what assessment he has made of the project.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	Decisions about the individual projects funded by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights are made by the European Commission and local EC delegations. They are also responsible for managing and evaluating the projects. The EU Committee on Human Rights and democracy allocates EU budget resources to projects in third countries and is responsible for evaluating the impact of the fund. The UK is represented on the Committee by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU. The British embassy in Moscow keeps in close touch with the local Commission delegation.

Science Strategy

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he has taken to enhance science in his Department since the publication of the Government's science strategy Investing in Innovation.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development has maintained its commitment to the use of science for policy making and delivery, and our investment in science and research is set to increase from the current 80 million per financial year to at least 100 million by 200607. Details are set out in the Forward Look 2003 on Government funded science, engineering and technology.
	Together with other departments, DFID is improving the way it uses science in its policy workbuilding on the recommendations of the Cross Cutting Review (CCR) and Investing in Innovationand the CCR implementation plan being pursued in cooperation with the Office of Science and Technology (OST).
	Specifically, DFID is developing a new research strategy, the draft of which will be published shortly for consultation. The draft will set out DFID's main areas of focus and proposals for future spending, including African agricultural productivity, the killer diseases for the poor, climate change, and long-run social and political changes. DFID will also publish a document on how it uses science, with examples of research capacity building efforts in developing countries.
	DFID will appoint two experienced scientistsone recommended by the Government's Chief Scientistto conduct a review of scientific advice in DFID and the case for appointing a Chief Scientist. The Department will also set up a new advisory board, which would include an eminent scientist and representatives from developing countries. The board will at its first meeting consider DFID's contribution to building science capacity in the developing world.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Blood Supplies

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the implications are for Northern Ireland of the Department of Health's decision not to allow blood donations from those who received transfusions since 1980.

Angela Smith: The decision to exclude anyone who received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom since 1980 from donating blood will apply in Northern Ireland with effect from 5 April 2004. This is expected to result in a 3.3 per cent. reduction in blood donations, reducing blood donations in Northern Ireland by about 2,300 units of blood per year. Measures are being planned to ensure that adequate blood supplies are maintained, including promotional campaigns and increased donor sessions.

Blood Supplies

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many donors he expects to be excluded from the blood donor register in Northern Ireland as a result of the recent decision to exclude recipients of blood transfusions from donating blood.

Angela Smith: The decision to exclude anyone who received a blood transfusion in the UK since 1980 from donating blood is expected to lead to a loss of 3.2 per cent. donors. In Northern Ireland this will exclude over 2,200 people who are currently registered as active donors.

Blood Supplies

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has held with his colleagues in the Department of Health on the recent decision to exclude recipients of blood transfusions from donating blood.

Angela Smith: The decision to exclude anyone who received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom since 1980 from donating blood was based on the advice of the Committee on Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation (MSBT). MSBT is convened by the Department of Health and acts as a UK wide advisory committee. It has two members from Northern Ireland, including a representative of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Blood Supplies

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the implications for Northern Ireland of the recent decision of the Secretary of State for Health to exclude recipients of blood transfusions from donating blood; whether such restrictions apply to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The decision to exclude anyone who received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom since 1980 from donating blood will apply in Northern Ireland, with effect from 5 April 2004. This precautionary measure to ensure the safety of blood has the potential to affect blood supplies. Measures are planned to ensure that adequate blood supplies are maintained and that blood is used appropriately.

Blood Supplies

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by how much he expects the level of blood supplies will decrease following the recent decision to prohibit the acceptance of blood from those who have had blood transfusions.

Angela Smith: The decision to exclude anyone who received a blood transfusion in the UK since 1980 from donating blood is expected to result in a 3.3 per cent. reduction in blood donations. In effect this will reduce blood donations in Northern Ireland by about 2,300 units of blood per year. Measures are being planned to ensure that adequate blood supplies are maintained, including promotional campaigns and increased donor sessions.

Cancer

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many NHS hospital beds are allocated for the treatment of teenage and young adult patients with cancer in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: HSS Trusts in Northern Ireland have advised that there are 10 beds open overnight which are specifically designated for the treatment of teenage and young adult patients with cancer. Should the need exceed this provision, other beds not specifically designated for the treatment of this particular age-group may be made available for teenagers and young adults.

Citizenship Ceremony

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the first citizenship ceremony in Northern Ireland to take place; and with what frequency he expects them to occur.

Paul Murphy: The first citizenship ceremony in Northern Ireland is scheduled to take place on 4 June 2004. The number and frequency of future ceremonies will depend on the number of applications received. Current estimates are that there will be four ceremonies per year in Northern Ireland.

Focus Groups

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his estimate is of total expenditure by his Department on (a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in each year from 199596 to 200304; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: In relation to the expenditure of the Northern Ireland Office on attitudinal research between 1997 and 2003, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary, on 13 May 2003, Official Report, column 206W. Expenditure in 199596 was 11,750. Overall expenditure on attitudinal research for the financial year 200304 is not yet available, although 27,480 + vat has been identified to date.
	Within the Northern Ireland administration this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Housing Executive

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is undertaking to address the problems faced by the organisation in relation to recruiting people from all sections of the community in Northern Ireland.

John Spellar: Where monitoring shows that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's recruitment processes delivers differential outcomes, it initiates an affirmative action programme which aims to encourage full participation of the community in securing employment within the organisation. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive's Affirmative Action Plan addresses areas of under-representation in relation to gender, disability and the other equality groups identified in the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
	The main measures the Northern Ireland Housing Executive takes include:
	(i) the extension of external recruitment to cover entry level and key recruitment grades;
	(ii) the promotion of careers within the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in publications where there is under representation; and
	(iii) developing links with schools and training organisations in areas where under representation exists.

Laganside Development

John Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the capital investment by Government Departments in the Laganside development in Belfast has been; and how much money has been earmarked by Government for the capitalisation of the Ilex Corporation in Derry to develop the Ministry of Defence lands.

John Spellar: The information is as follows:
	Laganside
	The amount of capital investment by Government Departments in the Laganside Development in Belfast from 1989 until now has been 129 million.
	Laganside will wind up some time in the future by which time many of the capital assets will be either sold off, net proceeds being transferred back to the Department for Social Development, or some assets such as the Lagan Walkway and Weir (value 35 million) being retained in public ownership.
	Ilex
	Government expect shortly to receive an interim bid for funding from Ilex Urban Regeneration Company, under the Integrated Development Fund in advance of an Integrated Development Plan for the North West. This plan will inform future capital investment decisions.
	There are plans for the Department for Social Development to acquire the Fort George site later in 2004 for 12 million. The Ebrington site (value circa 4 million) was transferred at nil cost to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in December 2003 as part of the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative. It was also recently announced that Government have agreed in principle to acquire the Clooney Barracks site however the transfer value has yet to be determined.

Murder Investigations

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total financial cost has been of investigations into the murder of (a) Mr. Patrick Kelly on 10 August 1974 and (b) Mr. Robert Jameson on 17 January 1974, both of Trillick.

Jane Kennedy: In view of the significant time which has elapsed since these two murders, an estimate of the costs of the associated police investigations could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Organ Retention

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether relatives of those who had coroners' post mortems will be invited to planned memorials for the victims of organ retention in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Department is engaged in ongoing discussions with Belfast city council, Derry city council and the Relatives' Reference Group about the location of suitable memorials for those affected by the retention of human organs and tissue. Relatives of those who were affected, whether through coroners' or hospital post mortem examinations, will be most welcome to attend any future service of dedication of the memorials.

Phoenix Natural Gas

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with representatives of Phoenix Natural Gas on the recent increase in gas prices; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have met with the Chairman and Chief Executive of Phoenix Natural Gas to express my deep concerns over proposed gas price increases in Northern Ireland. I have also been in contact with all the parties concerned including the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation (NIAER), the General Consumer Council (NI), National Energy Action and the Department of Social Development who have responsibility for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Fuel Poverty. I have also met a delegation of NI political representatives from all the major political parties to hear their concerns. I have asked NIAER to carry out an urgent investigation into the proposed increase and the circumstances leading up to Phoenix's announcement on 19 March, and to report to me by 31 March 2004.

Post Mortems

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what procedures relatives will be required to use to obtain tissue from consented hospital and coroner post mortems when the new legislation is implemented.

Angela Smith: In January 2004 I launched a public consultation document entitled Post Mortem ExaminationsGood Practice in Consent and the Care of the Bereaved. It contains new draft consent forms and guidance, which address relatives' wishes for the return or disposal of tissue. It also takes account of the provisions of the new Human Tissue Bill currently before Parliament. The consultation period ends on 27 April 2004 and it is anticipated that the Department will issue final guidance to the HPSS towards the end of 2004. This will be made available to relatives through the Relatives' Reference Group and the Department's web site. It is too early at this stage to say what the new procedures will be but the principle of consent will underpin them all.

Pulmonary Hypertension

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the provisions in Northern Ireland for sufferers of pulmonary hypertension.

Angela Smith: Pulmonary hypertension is a rare abnormality and is managed within existing specialty areas including cardiology, general medicine, respiratory medicine and in the case of children, paediatrics. Each case is managed individually, with treatment provided appropriate to the patient's particular needs.

Royal Ulster Constabulary

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the search and log records of the Royal Ulster Constabulary for the night of 17 February 1978 are still held.

Jane Kennedy: The Police Service of Northern Ireland has carried out a review of the investigation file and HM Coroner's reports relating to the La Mon bombing. However search papers and logs for the night of 17 February 1978 have not been retained within these papers.

Unionist Paramilitaries

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance Unionist political parties are giving the police in curbing the criminal activities of Unionist paramilitary groups.

Jane Kennedy: The Police Service of Northern Ireland does not categorise any paramilitary group as Unionist. The category used is Loyalist. Unionist political parties have publicly stated their support for the police in their efforts to tackle the criminal activities of Loyalist paramilitary groups. Representatives of Unionist parties also sit on the Policing Board and show their further support for the police at community level by participating in the local District Policing Partnerships.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to pay (a) bereavement benefit and (b) invalid care allowance without deductions arising from the payment of both benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: It is a basic principle of the social security system that two benefits at a time cannot be paid for the same purpose. Even though the circumstances which give rise to entitlement to Carer's Allowance and Bereavement Benefit are different, they are both designed to provide a degree of replacement for lost or foregone income. Carer's Allowance replaces income where the carer has had to give up the chance of working to look after a severely disabled person, while Bereavement Benefit replaces income following the death of a spouse.
	Carer's Allowance is therefore not payable, or not payable in full, in addition to Bereavement Benefit. The payment of Bereavement Benefit takes precedence, either extinguishing or reducing the payment of Carer's Allowance. Nevertheless, the income of a person in these circumstances will be at least as high as the rate of Carer's Allowance, and is usually higher. In addition, where the benefit cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance, which gives them access to the carer premium in the income-related benefits such as Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
	We have no plans to change these arrangements.

Benefits

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many individuals living in (a) York and (b) North Yorkshire were in receipt of (i) state retirement pension and (ii) other benefits in (A) 1997 and (B) each year since then;
	(2)  how many claims for benefits and pensions were made by people living in (a) York and (b) North Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested concerning the total number of claims for benefits or pensions is not available. The available information is in the tables.
	
		Working age claimants of key benefits in York
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 November 1997 11,400 
			 November 1998 11,200 
			 November 1999 10,800 
			 November 2000 10,400 
			 November 2001 10,500 
			 November 2002 9,600 
			 November 2003 9,400 
		
	
	
		Working age claimants of key benefits in North Yorkshire
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 November 1997 33,500 
			 November 1998 33,800 
			 November 1999 33,300 
			 November 2000 31,700 
			 November 2001 31,300 
			 November 2002 31,300 
			 November 2003 31,300 
		
	
	Notes
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Key benefits are Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Income Support and National Insurance credits only (through JSA or IB).
	Source
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. samples.
	
		Key benefit recipients over state pension age by benefit combination in York
		
			 Benefits 1999(4) 2000(4) 2001(4) 2002(4) 2003(4) 
		
		
			 State Pension 27,300 26,900 27,000 27,300 26,700 
			 State Pension and DLA 900 1,000 1,000 1,100 1,100 
			 State Pension and AA 2,200 2,200 2,200 2,400 2,300 
			 State Pension, MIG/Pension Credit 1,800 2,000 2,200 2,100 2,800 
			 State Pension, MIG/Pension Credit and DLA *200 *200 *200 *200 *300 
			 State Pension, MIG/Pension Credit and AA 1,000 1,000 900 1,000 1,100 
			 Other combinations *400 *200 *200 *300 *200 
			 All 33,800 33,500 33,700 34,400 34,500 
		
	
	
		Key benefit recipients over state pension age by benefit combination in North Yorkshire
		
			 Benefits 1999(4) 2000(4) 2001(4) 2002(4) 2003(4) 
		
		
			 State Pension 90,600 90,200 90,100 90,300 89,500 
			 State Pension and DLA 3,000 3,300 3,800 3,800 4,000 
			 State Pension and AA 8,000 8,500 8,300 9,200 9,200 
			 State Pension and AA/DLA *100 *100 *100 *100 *100 
			 State Pension and MIG/Pension Credit 6,900 7,200 8,000 8,200 9,900 
			 State Pension, MIG/Pension Credit and DLA 900 1,000 1,100 1,200 1,400 
			 State Pension, MIG/Pension Credit and AA 3,300 3,400 3,600 3,400 4,000 
			 Other combinations 1,300 1,200 1,100 1,100 1,200 
			 All 114,100 114,900 116,000 117,300 119,300 
		
	
	(4) November.
	Notes
	1. Figures are taken from a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	3. Numbers less than 500 and marked * are based on very few sample cases and are subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
	4. Key Benefits are State Pension (SP), Incapacity Benefit (IB), Attendance Allowance (AA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Pension Credit (PC) and Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA).
	5. Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) was introduced from 1999 and was replaced by Pension Credit with effect from 6 October 2003.
	Source
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. samples.

Child Support Agency

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the target response times are for the Child Support Agency telephone helpline; and what the most recent performance delivery against these targets is.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Jon Trickett, dated 30 March 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the targets response times are for the Child Support Agency telephone helpline; and what the most recent performance delivery against these targets is.
	The Agency aims to answer 85% of calls received within 60 seconds. In February 2004 it answered 86.9% of calls within that timeframe.

Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer question reference 147652, tabled by the hon. Member for Northavon on 8 January.

Des Browne: holding answer 15 March 2004
	An answer was given to the hon. Member today.

IT Projects

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies, including the (a) start date, (b) the planned completion date, (c) the current expected completion date, (d) the planned cost and (e) the current estimated cost; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 13 January 2004
	The Department for Work and Pensions and its businesses currently have in excess of 100 individual projects which encompass information technology changes to a greater or lesser extent. The Department's major projects are those contained in the modernisation programme. For the most part, these projects embrace both information technology and business change. The following table lists the Department's current major programmes and projects that are based predominantly on IT change with information on schedules, budgets and achievements to date.
	The Planned Costs column provides forecasts to project implementation. The Current Authorised Expenditure column gives expenditure authorised to the programme or project's next approval gate.
	Expenditure on projects is formally approved by the Department's governance process and authorised through review gates. These reviews ensure that projects are meeting the standards we expect (including business change, technical and commercial criteria) before authority to progress to the next stage of their development.
	It should be noted that project details may alter as they pass through the project lifecycle.
	
		Department for Work and Pensions modernisation programme
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Child Support Reform September 1999 October 2004 Currently under review 400 400 
			 Key achievements Since 3 March 2003, new Child Support claims have been calculated using the new rules and new IT. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Customer Management System October 2001 March 2006 March 2006 300 150 
			 Key achievements This system currently being rolled out will allow information supplied by customers to be gathered electronically by staff, improving efficiency and customer service. Staff will be able to check information supplied against that already held and issue the customer with a Statement reflecting the information supplied. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 ISCS/JSAPS Modernisation Programme August 2002 Various (5)Various 20 20 
			 Key achievements The Department's updated IS/IT Strategy has identified new ways of delivering IT improvements at lower risk. The modernisation of our Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance systems is now being taken forward in line with updated IS/IT Strategy principlesfor example, a preference for commercially available packages rather than bespoke development and staged incremental improvements rather than big bang replacement. 
		
	
	(5) In line with the Department's IT Strategy, this programme has changed from system replacement to a rolling programme of incremental improvements.
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Working Age IS/IT Strategy Programme December 2003 Various (7)Various Under review 10 
			 Key achievements This is a new programme in its initial start-up phase. 
		
	
	(6) This is a rolling programme of a number of business and IT improvement projects with individual start and completion dates.
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 New Tax Credits April 2000 April 2005 April 2005 90 90 
			 Key achievements January 2003: IT Gateway between Inland Revenue and DWP went live.April 2003: Payment of new awards of Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit start. October 2003: 30,000 Minimum Income Guarantee child premium cases successfully completed. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Digital Office Infrastructure May 2000 June 2004 June 2004 750 745 
			 Key achievements DOI aims to implement a modern IT infrastructure platform across the department allowing staff access to modern business software. By February 2004, over 119,000 PCs had been rolled out (plus 23,000 installed in ex ES sites). 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Managing Core Systems Estate November 2003 March 2006 March 2006 15 1 
			 Key achievements This is a new programme of enhancements to the Department's core systems and is in define and initiate stage. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Pensions Forecasting Programme September 1999 April 2005 April 2005 40 30 
			 Key achievements October 2001: Combined Pensions Forecasting service available. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Pensions Credit August 2001 October 2004 October 2004 285 255 
			 Key achievements April 2003: Advance application for Pension Credit invited.May 2003: Minimum Income Guarantee to Pension Creditconversion started.January 2004: Pension Credit payable. 2.18 million pensioner households are now in receipt. Pension Credit Application Line have taken their millionth call. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Pensions Transformation Project January 2002 2006 2006 To be determinedproject to be defined 95 
			 Key achievements This project is currently focusing on design and delivering changes to the Pension Service organisation, business processes, services and IT. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Customer Information System July 2003 October 2006 October 2006 50 10 
			 Key achievements This is a new project in its define and initiate stage. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Payment Modernisation Programme October 1999 December 2005 December 2005 465 200 
			 Key achievements From April 2003: Direct Payment became the normal method of payment for new customers. Benefit systems aligned to accommodate direct payments. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Resource Management April 2001 September 2006 September 2006 155 40 
			 Key achievements The project is configuring standard Oracle software and implementing best practice processes to replace the Department's existing resource management systems. 
		
	
	
		
			 Project Start date Due end date Expected end date Planned costs ( million) Current authorised expenditure ( million) 
		
		
			 Debt Management November 2000 April 2005 April 2005 115 60 
			 Key achievements February 2004: Nine out of 10 Debt Centres now set-up.

New Deal

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding has been provided to New Deal task forces in each year since 1998.

Des Browne: The information requested is as follows.
	
		New Deal for Young Peoplespending on the environmental task force (ETF) 
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199798(7) 0 
			 199899(8) 15 
			 19992000 42 
			 200001 42 
			 200102 42 
			 200203 31 
			 200304(9) 31 
		
	
	1 New Deal for Young People (NDYP) started in January 1998. As participation in the NDYP Options normally commenced after a 4 month Gateway period, spend on the Options, including the ETF, was very small and has been rounded to zero. 2 This corrects the figure that was given in my answer to the hon. Member for Havant (David Willetts), on 14 July 2003, Official Report, columns 7879W. 3 Estimated outturn. 4 All figures are rounded to the nearest million. Source: Departmental Report 2003

New Deal

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money has so far been spent on each constituent element of the New Deal.

Des Browne: holding answer 26 March 2004
	The information is in the table.
	
		 million
		
			  New Deal for Young People New Deal25 plus New Deal50 plus New Deal for Lone Parents New Deal for Disabled People New Deal for Partners 
		
		
			 199798 43  
			 199899 260 34  18 1 1 
			 19992000 370 97 3 39 22 5 
			 200001 412 60 56 43 14 11 
			 200102 308 213 87 46 10 8 
			 200203 339 254 106 80 27 6 
			 200304 340 255 56 82 27 11 
			 Total 2,072 913 308 308 101 42 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All figures are outturn figures except; 200203 estimated outturn and, 200304 planned expenditure.
	2. All figures are rounded to the nearest  million
	Source:
	2003 DWP Departmental Report (Cm 5921)

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum Seekers

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many asylum seekers are detained in Maghaberry Prison; and how many of those are (a) male, (b) female and (c) children;
	(2)  what the average length of stay was for an asylum seeker in the last two years at Maghaberry Prison.

Beverley Hughes: As at 27 December 2003the latest available date for which data are available 120 individuals recorded as having sought asylum were detained in prisons in the UK. Of these, less than five were detained at HMP Maghaberry, all of whom were adult males. Minors may not be held at HMP Maghaberry. Information on the number of people detained as at 27 March 2004 will be published on the Home Office website (www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html) on 25 May 2004.
	Information on the length of detention of individual detainees held at HMP Maghaberry is not available.

Asylum Seekers

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether asylum seekers detained at Maghaberry Prison are (a) subject to normal prison rules and (b) held separately from (i) sentenced and (ii) remand prisoners.

Beverley Hughes: Immigration detainees held at HMP Maghaberry are located on a separate landing in Mourne House and are separate from the main prison population. Detainees are subject to prison rules but are managed as untried prisoners, with a more favourable regime that is more akin to that of enhanced prisoners.

Asylum Seekers

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long Maghaberry Prison will be used to detain asylum seekers.

Beverley Hughes: Individual detainees are held for no longer than is necessary and we seek to ensure that any period of detention is kept to the minimum. An individual detainee who initially elected to remain at HMP Maghaberry rather than be transferred to an Immigration Service removal centre in Great Britain may at any time request to be transferred to such a removal centre.
	More generally, we have no plans at present to end the use of HMP Maghaberry for the very small numbers of immigration detainees who express a preference to remain in Northern Ireland rather than be transferred to an Immigration Service removal centre in Great Britain. The small numbers of individuals concerned, usually less than 10 at any one time, would not be sufficient to make a dedicated detention facility in Northern Ireland viable to establish or operate.

Asylum Seekers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of failed asylum seekers in the UK who are liable to be forcibly returned to Iraq.

Beverley Hughes: At present, removals to Iraq are on a voluntary basis, but on 24 February 2004 my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced that the UK was the first country to reach agreement with the Coalition Provisional Authority to begin enforced returns of failed Iraqi asylum seekers. The pilot scheme will begin in April and will allow 30 Iraqis per month to be returned initially; it will be linked to a package of assistance with accommodation and employment, and will operate alongside the voluntary returns programme.
	Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication is due to be published on 25 May 2004 on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum Seekers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers have been forcibly removed to Afghanistan in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of Afghan nationals who had claimed asylum at some stage that were removed from the United Kingdom from 1998 to September 2003 (the latest date for which data are available) is shown in the table.
	
		Removals and voluntary(7) departures of principal asylum applicants (excluding dependants): January 1998 to September 2003(8) , (9) , (10)
		
			  Afghanistan 
		
		
			 1998 15 
			 1999 n/a 
			 2000 n/a 
			 2001 125 
			 2002(11) 395 
			 January to September 2003(11) 460 
		
	
	n/a = Information not available due to data quality issues on IND databases.
	(7) Including persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them.
	(8) May include removals to a safe third country.
	(9) Data are rounded to nearest five with * denoting 1 or 2.
	(10) Data are estimated due to data quality issues on the databases.
	(11) Provisional figures.
	These figures include those persons who departed voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them and persons leaving under the Assisted Voluntary Returns Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration as well as those who were forcibly removed from the UK, however they are not separately identifiable. Information on the destination of those people who are removed is not available.
	There were no enforced returns to Afghanistan prior to April 2003. A voluntary return programme, the Return to Afghanistan Programme (RAP) commenced on 20 August 2002. Enforced returns operate under the tripartite Agreement between the United Kingdom, United Nations High Commission for Refugees and Afghan Transitional Administration and flights to Kabul commenced on 28 April 2003.

Alcohol Misuse (Greater London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he plans to take to tackle alcohol misuse in Greater London.

Hazel Blears: On 15 March 2004 the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published a Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England. The Strategy sets out the Government plans to combat the range of problems caused by alcohol misuse in England. The majority of London Drug Action Teams (DATs) have already drawn up local alcohol misuse strategies, as part of their plans to tackle wider substance misuse. Officials are working with DATs and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) to ensure that all London boroughs prioritise alcohol misuse in the next round of crime and drugs strategies.

Amphetamines

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral answer of 22 March 2004, Official Report, column 551, on amphetamines, what assessment he has made of the conversion of common cold, flu and hayfever tablets into amphetamines; and what discussions he has had on the volume of these over the counter medicines sold to individuals.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 29 March 2003
	The Forensic Science Service's data on seizures of illicit drugs shows no incidence in the United Kingdom in recent years of these over the counter medicines having been converted into amphetamines for misuse.

Criminal Records Bureau

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Criminal Records Bureau checks addresses and criminal records in application forms.

Hazel Blears: The Criminal Records Bureau scans application forms into its secure system and the address details are compared against a piece of software that identifies whether a legitimate address has been entered. Should an address not be recognised, the form is sent to members of staff who will check the details against a standard verification system known as Post-Code Lookup. If the address details cannot be verified, the CRB sends a letter to the applicant to seek clarification.
	Enhanced Disclosure Applicants are asked to provide details of their addresses, which cover the past five years. This information is used to determine which police force(s) need to be contacted to obtain details of any information held that is not on the police national computer. In such circumstances, the police will check local records to see whether information about the applicant, can be linked with any criminal activity, or any other information that might be pertinent to the position applied for.
	Occasionally, an applicant may send with their application form details of any convictions they hold. These are returned to the applicant with a letter informing them that such details are not required for CRB purposes, however the applicant is required to declare such convictions to the registered body. The checks carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau will identify details of relevant convictions.

Criminal Records Bureau

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Criminal Records Bureau received the application of Helen Livett of Binstead, Isle of Wight, for a record check; when that record check will be notified to him; and what the reason is for the delay in responding.

Hazel Blears: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) received an Enhanced Disclosure Application Form in respect of Helen Livett on 28 August 2002. The CRB will not issue a disclosure as a result of this application because it has been withdrawn. In January 2003, the bureau conducted an exercise to identify the number of old applications that had been suspended, awaiting further information and Helen Livett's was identified as one such application.
	The CRB wrote to Helen Livett and her Registered Body to advise that further information was required in order to process her disclosure application. These letters stated that the application would be withdrawn if this information was not received within six weeks of the date of the letters. No reply was received; consequently Helen Livett's disclosure was withdrawn on 11 April 2003.
	Should Helen Livett require a disclosure, she will need to re-apply, ensuring that she provides further payment and sufficient information to enable the CRB to process it.

Curfew Orders

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many curfew orders have been made in the Ribble Valley constituency in each of the last seven years.

Hazel Blears: I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 11 March 2004, Official Report, column 1669W.

Firearms

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the Firearms Consultative Committee has met over the last 12 months.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 26 March 2003
	The Committee met five times. In addition there were three sub-group meetings.

Firearms

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for the disbandment of the Firearms Consultative Committee.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 26 March 2003
	As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, indicated in his written statement on 30 January, the Government are anxious to maintain a forum for consultation but wishes to do so on a broader basis than allowed by section 22 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 under which the Firearms Consultative Committee was established. We are now considering a new two-tier consultative structure to look at detailed technical matters and the operation of firearms controls in the round.

Forensic Science Service

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to revoke the Forensic Science Service Trading Fund Order 1998.

Hazel Blears: There are no immediate plans to revoke the Order as the action is necessary only towards the very end of the process of transforming the Forensic Science Service into a public private partnership.

Khat

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 23 February 2004, Official Report, column 239W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Rosindell) on Khat, what practical steps the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has taken to review the impact of Khat.

Caroline Flint: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs keeps the situation in respect of all controlled drugs under review. At its meeting on 2 October 2003, the Advisory Council's sub-committee the Technical Committee considered the impact of Khat. The Committee concluded that further research needed to be carried out before any informed decisions could be made.
	The Home Office is in the process of commissioning a piece of research into Khat use in the United Kingdom. We expect the research to be completed by the summer of 2005.

Lancashire Police

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the cost of policing in Lancashire was paid for by (a) central Government and (b) local council tax in each of the last four years.

Hazel Blears: The information is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Council tax Government funding and specific grant(12) Other(13) Total gross revenue expenditure 
		
		
			 200001 27.4 164.1 10.5 202.0 
			 200102 29.9 176.7 8.1 214.7 
			 200203 33.3 178.4 14.7 226.4 
			 200304 39.7 189.7 9.6 239.0 
		
	
	(12) Includes Principal Home Office Police grant, ODPM Revenue Support Grant and National Non Domestic Rates, Special grant, Revenue for Airwave, Crime Fighting Fund, Rural Policing Grant, Loan charge grant, Street Crime Initiative grant and other specific grants.
	(13) Includes all other force income apart from specific grants from Government, and movements in reserves.
	Source
	Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Police statistics (Actuals 200001 to 200203 and Estimates 200304).

Mopeds (CSOs)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mopeds have been purchased by the Metropolitan police for use by police community support officers in each borough; and at what cost.

Hazel Blears: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that the Metropolitan police have placed orders for 180 mopeds, which are to be used by Community Support Officers.
	Of these, 58 mopeds have been delivered and are currently in operational use. They are deployed primarily in the following boroughs by Community Support Officers of the Transport Operation Command Unit.
	
		
			 Borough Number of mopeds 
		
		
			 Lewisham 4 
			 Lambeth 3 
			 Tower Hamlets 8 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4 
			 Camden 18 
			 Ealing 4 
			 Hackney 4 
			 Westminster 13 
		
	
	Vehicles have been procured at competitive prices and the cost of the order remains commercially confidential.

Offender Management

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will be responsible for the recall of prisoners who breach their parole licence under the National Offender Management Service arrangements.

Paul Goggins: The current arrangements for the recall of prisoners who breach their parole licence are unlikely to change but it will become a function within the National Offender Management Service.

Overseas Bribery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people specialise in combating overseas bribery in (a) the National Criminal Intelligence Service, (b) the National Crime Squad and (c) other law enforcement agencies.

Hazel Blears: The National Criminal Intelligence Service holds a responsibility to maintain a national register of reports made of suspected cases of overseas bribery, and two officers, including a senior manager, are involved in the work as part of a wider set of responsibilities they have.
	In the National Crime Squad there are no officers or staff dedicated solely to combating overseas bribery. However, the coercion and corruption of law enforcement officers and public officials is characteristic of the way in which serious and organised criminals operate. Consequently, when required, significant resources are invested by the National Crime Squad in combating this threatboth in the UK and overseas.
	The Solicitor-General will answer the separate question regarding the Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office.

Police Funding

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was provided by the Government to police authorities (a) from national non-domestic rates, (b) from revenue support grant, (c) from Home Office police principal grant, (d) from all other Home Office and other special grants excluding capital and (e) as capital grants were in each year since 199697.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 19 January 2004
	The information is set out in the table.
	
		 million
		
			  (a) Redistribute ofnon-domestic rates(14) , (15) (b) Revenue support grant(14) , (15) (c) Home Office police grant (d) Total other grants(16) (e) Capital grants(17) 
		
		
			 199697 1,061 1,485 3,349  190 
			 199798 1,035 1,516 3,473  170 
			 199899 1,027 1,525 3,649  143 
			 19992000 1,106 1,541 3,698  147 
			 200001 1,201 1,486 3,823 73 143 
			 200102(18) 1,214 1,596 3,995 229 221 
			 200203 1,311 1,504 4,005 349 316 
			 200304 770 2,055 4,288 658 306 
			 200405 744 2,222 4,380 657 281 
		
	
	(14) Source: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister  National Assembly for Wales.
	(15) Revenue Support Grant (RSG) includes SSA Reduction Grant and Central Support Protection grant. RSG and NNDR for the City of London Police is provided in respect of ail its functions.
	(16) Specific grants since 200001 for targeted programmes.
	(17) Capital Grants include Home Office police capital grant, supplementary credit approvals, Air Support and Premises Improvement Fund, Airwave capital and C3i. Totals up to 200102 include an element for major capital schemes allocated under the Priority Planning List (PPL) scheme.
	(18) The grant figures for 200102 and 200203 are not directly comparable, owing to changes from 200203 in the method of funding the National Crime Squad and the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

Police Funding

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure Chorley receives police funding which reflects population growth there.

Hazel Blears: General grant funding for police authorities is allocated on the basis of an estimate of relative need for police resources, taking into account local resources. Resident population is the most significant single factor in the estimate of need. The latest population estimates available from the Registrar General are used.
	The Chief Constable and the Police Authority allocate resources at force level according to local plans and operational priorities.
	Lancashire Police Authority's grant in 200405 will be 182.9 million, an increase of 5.8 million or 3.25 per cent. over this year. It will also receive over 17 million for targeted programmes and capital provision.
	I understand from the Chief Constable that Lancashire Constabulary have embarked on a significant community engagement programme. Additional community beat officers have been put in place across the constabulary over the last 12 months, including in Chorley. The constabulary plans to deploy an additional 15 officers to the Southern Division over the next 12 months, who will be split equally across each of the three borough areas. In addition, community support officers are in place. The constabulary has recently launched the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme to improve the quality of service to local communities.

Police Officers

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the training costs were (a) per officer and (b) in total for new police officers in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) West Derbyshire in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: Information concerning the training costs (a) per officer and (b) in total for new police officers in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) West Derbyshire in each year since 1997 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police Officers

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were recruited in (a) the East Midlands and (b) West Derbyshire in each year since 1997; and what percentage of each year's intake remains as serving officers, in each case.

Hazel Blears: Information on probationer wastage is not available. Data are in the form of police constables recruitment and wastage for the East Midlands Government Office Region and Derbyshire Police Force Area. Wastage comprises retirements, resignations, dismissals, deaths and transfers to police forces outside England and Wales. Wastage in a particular year does not necessarily relate to recruitment in that year.
	The available information is given in the table.
	
		Police constables -- Number
		
			  East Midlands(19) Derbyshire Police 
		
		
			 1997   
			 Recruitment 508 85 
			 Wastage 243 47 
			
			 1998   
			 Recruitment 402 66 
			 Wastage 288 65 
			  
			 1999   
			 Recruitment 193 50 
			 Wastage 283 41 
			
			 2000   
			 Recruitment 302 79 
			 Wastage 201 31 
			 2001   
			 Recruitment 556 103 
			 Wastage 233 51 
			
			 2002   
			 Recruitment 630 111 
			 Wastage 280 39 
			
			 2003   
			 Joiners(20) 825 264 
			 Leavers(21) 346 74 
		
	
	(19) East Midlands comprises Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire Police Force Areas.
	(20) Not comparable to previous recruitment figures as data include transfers from other England and Wales forces and officers returning after a period of secondment.
	(21) Not comparable to previous wastage figures as data do not include transfers to other England and Wales forces and officers leaving after a period of secondment.

Sentencing Statistics

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were sentenced in England and Wales for motoring offences, excluding those causing death or serious injury, in each of the last 10 years; how many of those received a custodial sentence; and what the average custodial sentence length was.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is contained in the table and gives the number of offenders sentenced, those sentenced to immediate custody, the custody rate and the average custodial sentence length at all courts for motoring offences, other than those causing death or injury, England and Wales 1993 to 2002.
	
		Number of offenders sentenced(22), sentenced to immediate custody, the custody rate and average custodial sentence length for motoring offences(23) at all courts
		
			 England and Wales 1993 to 2002 Total offenders sentenced Sentenced to immediate custody(24) Custody rate(25) (percentage) Average custodial sentence length (months) 
		
		
			 1993 675,868 9,280 1 3.7 
			 1994 650,979 13,116 2 3.7 
			 1995 653,671 14,766 2 3.7 
			 1996 658,991 14,598 2 3.8 
			 1997 658,822 15,967 2 3.8 
			 1998 674,194 16,006 2 3.7 
			 1999 641,160 17,412 3 3.8 
			 2000 615,233 17,832 3 3.8 
			 2001 591,220 18,867 3 3.9 
			 2002 604,289 19,139 3 4.0 
		
	
	(22) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(23) Excludes offences involving death or injury, theft and unauthorised taking of motor vehicle and non-payment of vehicle excise licence.
	(24) Includes unsuspended imprisonment, secure training orders, S9192 of the Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (replaced Section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933), partly suspended sentences, detention in a young offender institution and detention and training orders.
	(25) Proportion of offenders sentenced who were sentenced to immediate custody.
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.

Shopkeepers (Harassment)

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many shop workers in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England and Wales made formal complaints of harassment and violence in (i) 1997, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2004 to date.

Hazel Blears: This information is not collected centrally.

TREASURY

Bushmeat

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to control the import of bushmeat.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Selby (Mr. Grogan) on 29 March 2004, Official Report, column 1232W.

Civil Service

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost savings arising from the reduction of 40,500 Civil Service jobs in (a) each of the years between now and 2008 and (b) the following five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The Budget announced that the Department for Work and Pensions has put forward plans to reduce its total staffing by 30,000 between now and 2008. These staff reductions will achieve a total gross administration saving of around 600 million a year in 200304 prices.
	The Budget also announced the integration of HM Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue. The creation of a single revenue department, along with existing plans and proposed efficiency reforms, will create scope for an overall staff reduction equivalent to 10,500 posts by 2008. The location and nature of staffing changes will be determined in detailed business planning to be undertaken by the revenue departments and their new Executive Chairman, when appointed, who will be consulting as appropriate with all key stakeholders including trade unions.

Gift Aid

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to make heritage and conservation charities aware of his plans to amend Gift Aid rules on day memberships;
	(2)  if he will postpone his plans to amend Gift Aid rules on day memberships to allow heritage and conservation charities to make appropriate amendments to their financial and other plans;
	(3)  what deadlines have been set for the proposed consultation on his plans to amend Gift Aid rules on day memberships;
	(4)  which organisations his Department intends to consult over plans to amend Gift Aid rules on day memberships;
	(5)  what estimate he has made of the number of heritage and conservation charities that will be affected by his Department's proposals to amend gift aid rules on day memberships;
	(6)  if he will estimate the additional Treasury revenue that would be raised in each of the next three years from his Department's proposed amendment to Gift Aid rules on day memberships.

John Healey: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in this year's Budget that the Government will continue to consult with charities to develop a new definition of the special statutory exemption from the Gift Aid rules for heritage and conservation charities.
	The Inland Revenue has since written to all charities and representative bodies who participated in the first stages of consultation following last year's pre-Budget report. A copy of this letter has also been posted on the Inland Revenue website. Charities have until 11 June to contribute to this extended consultation.
	The Government aim to announce the results of the consultation around the time of the Spending Review giving charities the opportunity to take account of the changes in their financial planning.
	It is not possible to establish the number of charities that might be affected by, nor the revenue effect of, any changes which might be proposed following this consultation since charities are not required to differentiate on their Gift Aid claims the amounts they are claiming for 'day membership' income from other amounts they are claiming. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leominster (Mr. Wiggin) on 15 January 2004, Official Report, columns 86566W.

Government Debt

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of servicing total Government debt was in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The latest available figures for debt interest are published by the Office for National Statistics in Table 1.1C of Financial Statistics. A copy of this table has been placed in the Library of the House.

Government Revenue Deficit

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of servicing the Government revenue deficit in financial year 200304; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The latest available estimate of debt interest is in Table C11 on page 266 of Budget 2004 (HC 301).

Head Teachers

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his commitment in the Budget in relation to direct payment of (a) 55,000 to primary school and (b) 180,000 to secondary school headteachers includes Northern Ireland.

Ruth Kelly: The Budget announcement related to schools in England only. Funding in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Income Tax

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much income tax was collected from each income tax bracket in the last fiscal year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to table 2.6 Income tax liabilities, by taxpayer's marginal rate on the Inland Revenue website www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/income taxAable-26.pdf.

Public Sector Employees

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees there were in the public sector in each year since 1995.

Paul Boateng: The information requested is published in Labour Market Trends, a copy of which is available in the Library and which can also be accessed through the Office for National Statistics' website: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme labour/LMT september03.pdf

Public Sector Relocation

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Government Departments suggested York to Sir Michael Lyons' review of public sector relocation as a possible place for relocating their staff; and which groups of staff were mentioned in this context.

Paul Boateng: Sir Michael Lyons' review was carried out on the basis that Government Departments who identified possible locations for dispersal of activity should not be named until such time as their plans have been fully worked up and they are ready to make an announcement.

Spirits Tax

Alan Reid: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the tax stamps schemes for bottles of spirits (a) run by the United States Administration prior to 1985 and (b) proposed by the Norwegian Government in 1997.

John Healey: Tax stamps have been introduced in forty different countries for a variety of reasons ranging from quality assurance to tackling fraud. The wide range of different schemes and reasons for their introduction or withdrawal means that comparisons between countries cannot easily be drawn.
	The USA withdrew its federal tax stamps in 1985 when a 1954 law governing marks on spirits was repealed. However, some States within the USA continued to use tax stamps for a number of reasons including the collection of state duties.
	Norway passed enabling legislation for tax stamps in 1997 but has not yet introduced stamps, so it is difficult to make any meaningful assessment of its proposed scheme.
	We have received information from over 20 countries about the operation of their tax stamps schemes. Of eight European Union and accession countries where direct inquiries have been made, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic have no plans to withdraw their schemes. Poland in particular emphasised the anti-fraud benefits of their scheme.

Spirits Tax

David Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate the impact of the introduction of strip stamps upon the competitiveness of UK distillers, with particular reference to the Scotch whisky sector;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the effect on the cost of packaging for UK distillers of the introduction of strip stamps; and what estimate he has made of a consequent impact upon consumer prices;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the impact of the introduction of strip stamps upon the efficiency of the UK distilling sector, with particular reference to Scotch whisky distillers;
	(4)  how many strip stamps he estimates UK distillers will need to purchase each year; and if he will estimate the impact of this cost upon (a) employment and (b) profitability in the UK;
	(5)  how many jobs he expects to be (a) eliminated and (b) created by the introduction of strip stamps; and what estimate he has made of possible impact upon consumer prices.

John Healey: The Government announced in the Budget that, owing to continued high levels of spirits duty fraud, it would legislate to implement the Roques report recommendation to introduce tax stamps for spirits. In doing so, the Government will help the trade financially with compliance costs by deferring payment for tax stamps, assisting firms with capital investment and freezing spirits duty for the remainder of this Parliament. Further announcements will be made once detailed options have been considered in discussion with the trade.
	A regulatory impact assessment, to be published alongside the Finance Bill, will set out the anticipated impacts, costs and benefits of the tax stamp regime. The impacts on compliance costs, competitiveness, employment and consumer prices will all depend on the detailed measures taken to implement tax stamps, on the measures the Government will introduce to offset the impact on legitimate business and on business decisions taken by companies involved in the spirits production and supply industry.

Spirits Tax

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions have taken place with the spirits industry about introducing tax stamps; and when he expects to publish full details and costs of the proposals for tax stamps;
	(2)  what the reasons are for the delay in publishing details and costs of the proposed tax stamps since his original proposal.

John Healey: There has been extensive consultation with the spirits industry since December 2001 when a formal consultation on tax stamps issues was launched. Following the Chancellor's announcement in last year's Pre-Budget Report (Cm 6042) that he would implement at the Budget the Roques report recommendation of tax stamps for products subject to the spirits rate of duty when an equally effective alternative could be found, Ministers and officials have received a wide range of representations and held more than 40 meetings with industry representatives. These discussions are continuing and joint industry Government working groups have been established to progress the implementation of tax stamps.
	It is the Government's intention to publish a full Regulatory Impact Assessment alongside this year's Finance Bill on 8 April.

Tax Collection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of tax collection was in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: For years up to and including 200102, details of the duties collected by the Department and the associated costs of administering those duties can be found in Table 1 at Appendix 1 of the Inland Revenue Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2002 (published in December 2002).
	For 200203, comparative figures are:
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 Net receipt of Inland Revenue duties 219,194.8 
			 Total cost of administering Inland Revenue duties 2,431.9

Tax Receipts

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money the Government received from (a) VAT, (b) income tax, (c) inheritance tax, (d) corporation tax, (e) capital gains tax and (f) stamp duty in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: Receipts from VAT are published on the HM Customs and Excise website, www. hmce.gov.uk/about/reports/ann-report-2003/a1.pdf.
	Income tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax and stamp duty receipts are published on the Inland Revenue website, www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/tax receipts/table-12.pdf.

Trusts (Income Tax)

Adrian Flook: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the trust sector regarding the effect of income tax on pre-owned assets on trusts set up before December 2003;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the ease with which tax avoidance schemes using trusts can be dismantled.

Dawn Primarolo: The consultation process on pre-owned assets was open to all interested parties, and the Chancellor took account of all responses received when settling the details announced in his Budget. How readily any particular tax avoidance scheme using trusts can be dismantled will depend on the scheme; in the case of schemes involving pre-owned assets the Chancellor concluded, with the benefit of consultation, that dismantling them would often be difficult. Provision to address this is among the matters covered by his Budget announcements.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

ACAS

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost is of production of hard copy leaflets issued by ACAS that cover employment rights.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to my reply given on 15 March 2004, Official Report, columns 6364W.

Advice Booklets

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 11 March 2004, Official Report, column 1676W, on advice booklets, which of the organisations invited to be part of the practitioner group (a) accepted the invitation to form part of the group and (b) supported the policy to cease production of hard copy prints of the relevant leaflets.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 25 March 2004, Official Report, columns 96293W.
	The group were asked for their views on reducing the number of publications in hard copy. No one at the meeting opposed the proposed changes.

Arms Exports

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many open individual export licences for arms components have been granted to (a) Cte d'Ivoire, (b) Nigeria, (c) Senegal, (d) Colombia, (e) Angola and (f) Namibia in each year since 2002 broken down by (i) type, (ii) volume and (iii) value; and under what conditions each licence was granted.

Nigel Griffiths: Since May 1997, the Government have published an Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls containing details of all goods, including components, authorised for export from the UK and to which destinations. The total value of SIEL licences issued for each destination is recorded in these reports. Copies of the Annual Report (up to and including 2002) are available from the Libraries of the House. Details of export licences approved in 2003 will be published later this year in the 2003 Annual Report.
	Concerning quantities exported, HM Customs and Excise and DTI compliance officers check that the terms of the licence have been respected but do not store data on volumes of actual exports which have been vetted and licensed.
	All licensing decisions are only made following careful and rigorous scrutiny of applications against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria, taking account of circumstances prevailing at the time and other announced Government policies.

Arms Exports

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what weapons components have been licensed to (a) Brazil, (b) Jordan, (c) Malaysia, (d) Singapore, (e) Turkey, (f) South Korea and (g) South Africa in the last two years; and what quantities each of those countries has received.

Nigel Griffiths: Since May 1997, the Government have published an Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls containing details of all goods, including components, authorised for export from the UK and to which destinations. The total value of SIEL licences issued for each destination is recorded in these reports. Copies of the Annual Report (up to and including 2002) are available from the Libraries of the House. Details of export licences approved in 2003 will be published later this year in the 2003 Annual Report.
	Concerning quantities exported, HM Customs and Excise and DTI compliance officers check that the terms of the licence have been respected but do not store data on volumes of actual exports which have been vetted and licensed.

Arms Exports

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department has binding agreements in place to prevent the re-export of UK components without the prior knowledge of the UK Government.

Nigel Griffiths: When considering an application for a licence to export strategic goods, the DTI requires the applicant to forward an undertaking from the end-user of the goods that they are for his ultimate end-use. A risk assessment is then made, taking account of any information we may hold on the end-user and the risk of diversion. I am advised it would not be practicable for the Government or another party to enter into binding agreements with end-users who are outside UK jurisdiction.

Arms Exports

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many countries since the introduction in July 2002 of revised guidelines for the licensing of arms components in incorporation cases she estimates have received export licences for arms components where the licensee may not be the final end-user of the finished goods.

Nigel Griffiths: For 2003, information on whether UK licensed goods were for incorporation has been recorded on the DTI Export Control Organisation's (ECO) databases. Information prior to this can be obtained only at disproportionate cost, via a manual search of licensing files. Statistics on incorporation cases will be published in the Government's 2003 Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls later this year.

Arms Exports

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what definition her Department uses of a non-aggressive component.

Nigel Griffiths: The DTI has no definition of a non-aggressive component. All components which are on the UK Military List or EU Dual-Use Regulation require an export licence before they may be exported.

Broadband

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to extend (a) broadband access to the internet and (b) digital television to all rural areas of the UK.

Stephen Timms: The DTI is working with the devolved Administrations and regional development agencies to extend the availability of broadband still further with a view to broadband being available in every community by the end of next year. We have given them 30 million for pilot schemes to extend the availability of broadband in areas not currently served by the market. This has helped to stimulate further regional schemes across the UK worth at least 377 million over 200006.
	In England, the Broadband Aggregation Project will make sure that the 1 billion Government spend on broadband connectivity for the public sector between 2003 and 2006 will offer the best value for money and widen availability to surrounding communities.
	A joint DTI/Defra rural broadband team has been set up specifically to address the issue of availability of broadband in rural areas. It aims to support local community action to secure affordable access to broadband, to ensure rural communities derive the maximum benefit from the deployment of broadband and promote rural access and take up of broadband to those in a position to effect positive change.
	With regard to digital TV, we said in 1999 that before we switch off analogue transmissions everyone who could receive the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form must be able to receive them on digital systems, and that switching must be affordable for the vast majority of people. These criteria still hold true. However, the Government consider that the advantages of digital television are such that the question is not whether, but how and when we should switch off analogue transmissions.
	One of the main arguments for switching off analogue transmissions is that until we do so around 25 per cent. of households will not be able to receive digital services through an aerial. This is because if the power of digital transmissions were increased to enable more complete coverage this would interfere with analogue transmissions, thereby degrading the quality of analogue television reception. Full digital coverage therefore depends on switching off the analogue signal. We are currently working with broadcasters and other stakeholders (including consumer groups) under the Digital Television Action Plan (available at www. digitaltelevision.gov.uk) on an analogue to digital switchover implementation plan. One of the deliverables under this plan will be a region by region timetable for switchover.
	Many rural areas are already able to receive digital television signals. Whether a particular household can receive them depends on whether that household is in the reception area of one of the 80 main transmitters from which digital signals are currently broadcast, not on whether it is in a rural or urban area. Digital terrestrial television reception can be checked by entering the viewer's postcode on either the Freeview or the Digital Television Group (DTG)'s websites www.freeview. co.uk or www.dtg.org.uk. Additionally, retailers are advised to check whether customers can receive digital terrestrial television where they live before buying, and most retailers normally bring this to the customer's attention at the point of sale.
	It is already possible to receive digital television services by satellite in the vast majority of rural areas. Satellite broadcasts are available to over 98 per cent. of households in the United Kingdom. Viewers can choose to receive all the BBC services and many others free-to-view by purchasing a satellite dish. Alternatively they can subscribe for packages of services which include all public broadcasting services.

Broadband

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets the Government have set for the development of broadband by 2010.

Stephen Timms: The Government's current broadband target is to have the most competitive and extensive broadband market in the G7 countries by the end of 2005. The Government are in the process of considering with stakeholders (including the Broadband Stakeholder Group), on what targets are necessary to measure the UK's progress in this area after this date. This process will be completed during this year and the Government will make an announcement once the review is complete.

Broadband

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Government plans to widen access to broadband over the next 12 months.

Stephen Timms: In November 2003, the DTI called on the Government, public bodies and broadband providers to bring broadband availability to 100 per cent. of communities across the UK by the end of 2005. BT and other stakeholders in the telecommunications industry came forward to support this target.
	The Government expect that considerable progress will be achieved within the next 12 months. According to Ofcom, an estimated 85 per cent. of UK homes and businesses are covered by a mass-market broadband solution and this is almost certain to rise to 90 per cent. this year.
	The Government welcome the advice of the Broadband Stakeholder Group in helping to develop a strategy for reaching the last 10 per cent. of communities. This will involve continuing action by the public and private sectors working in partnership to complete the access to an extensive and competitive broadband market throughout the UK using a variety of technologies.
	Decisions on where and when networks will be deployed will be predominantly for the market. However, the Government will continue to play their part, for example, by aggregating the l billion demand for public sector connectivity to 2006 through the Broadband Aggregation Programme, helping to ensure that this investment extends broadband availability to local communities.

Business Link

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the performance of Business Link.

Nigel Griffiths: The performance of BL continues to grow strongly. More customers are using BL services then ever before330,000 businesses last year and at the same time, they are becoming increasingly satisfiedwith the quality of the services they are receiving.
	The latest performance results (up to the end of Quarter 3 of 200304) show that market penetration has already reached the full year target of 27 per centwith more than double the number of businesses helped this year compared to the same point two years ago and customer satisfaction is still rising and now stands at 87 per cent.

Consumer and Investor Protection

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will break down how the funding for (a) miscellaneous consumer protection and (b) investor protection listed in her Departmental Report 2003 was allocated in 200304; and what amounts were allocated in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A number of items are included under Miscellaneous Consumer Protection including:
	
		 million
		
			  200203 200304 
		
		
			 Consumer Safety (inc. grant-in-aid for ROSPA) 3.4 1.0 
			 Economic Consumer Protection 1.1 4.2 
			 Consumer Information 2.1 2.4 
			 Modernisation Fund(26) 6.6 6.3 
		
	
	(26) The Modernisation Fund is intended to improve the capability and effectiveness of the trading standards service in consumer protection enforcement.
	Similarly investor protection covers several items, including:
	
		 million
		
			  200203 200304 
		
		
			 Costs: Disqualification of Directors 13.0 16.9 
			 Companies house late filing penalties 2.4 2.4 
			 Financial Reporting Council 0.8 1.1 
			 Repayments to Treasury solicitors(27) 1.4 1.7 
			 S447 inquiries by outside investigators 1.1 1.1 
		
	
	(27) Payments for professional services in connection with company investigations, including the costs of hiring counsel.
	Unfortunately changes in the DTI's accounting system, and changes in responsibility within the Department make it impossible, except at disproportionate cost, to give a consistent breakdown of figures on this basis back to 1997. However drawing on figures from past DTI Expenditure Plans Reports, the sums allocated to these areas since 1997 are:
	
		 million
		
			  Miscellaneous consumer protection Investor protection 
		
		
			 199798 8.0 17.4 
			 199899 3.2 21.6 
			 19992000 3.2 19.3 
			 200001 10.7 22.1 
			 200102 11.8 23.0 
			 200203 17.1 23.0 
			 200304 15.0 23.2

Equal Pay Reviews

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employers, and in which sectors, have conducted equal pay reviews in each year for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Research published by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in 2003 has found that 36 per cent. of large organisations (500 or more employees) in their main survey had either conducted an equal pay review (EPR), were in the process of conducting one, or were planning to do so before the end of 2003. 27 per cent. of medium-sized organisations (100499 employees) had conducted, were conducting, or were planning to conduct an EPR by the end of 2003.
	There is no information available on which sectors have conducted equal pay reviews, nor is there information available on organisations conducting pay reviews prior to 2003. However, the EOC survey found that in the manufacturing sector 57 per cent. of organisations had an equal pay policy, in the private services sector 54 per cent. had a policy and in the public sector 69 per cent. had an equal pay policy.

Government Procurement

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that procurement by the Government supports innovation within UK manufacturing.

Patricia Hewitt: This Government are committed to British manufacturing and helping manufacturers in Britain to compete successfully for public contracts.
	That is why the my right hon. Friend Prime Minister has asked me to chair a cross-government ministerial team to deliver the agenda set out in the Government's Innovation Report, building on work to identify areas where public procurement can better facilitate innovation and how this can be achieved, particularly through developing guidance for public procurers on how to procure innovative solutions and working with NHS Estates to draw innovation through the supply chain.
	This is also why in October 2002 this Government launched their Defence Industrial Policy, which commits us to become more innovative in the awarding of major defence contracts and which was the context for the decision to award the contract for Hawk.

Interest Rate Controls

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects the research on the way interest ceilings work in other EU countries will be completed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We expect to complete and publish in late spring 2004 research into the way that interest rate controls have worked in other countries.

Job References

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what requirements are in place to ensure that job references provided by employers are accurate and not misleading; what assessment she has made of the adequacy of remedies for those who may be a victim of an inaccurate reference and may be temporarily unemployed as a consequence, with particular reference to the cost of obtaining a remedy; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Employees can take action in the employment tribunals if they consider that a reference discriminates against them unlawfully, for instance on grounds of sex or sexual orientation. Employers also have a common law duty to take reasonable care in supplying references. An employee provided with a misleading or inaccurate reference could consider taking action in the civil courts against its supplier. The Department has made no specific assessment of the potential cost involved in seeking redress for a misleading reference or the remedies available.

National Minimum Wage

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of low paid workers who will directly benefit from the increase in the minimum wage in (a) the constituency of Ogmore, (b) Bridgend county borough and (c) Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not possible to provide estimates specifically for the constituency of Ogmore or Bridgend county borough. Based on the Office for National Statistics' Low Pay data released in 2003, the DTI estimates that between 90,000 and 110,000 people in Wales stand to benefit directly from the October 2004 uprating of the National Minimum Wage (that was recently announced).

Post Office Card Account

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will take steps to ensure that the next generation of PIN pads introduced into post offices will be fully accessible for disabled people, with particular reference to those with sight problems.

Stephen Timms: The design and operation of the Post Office card account, including the use of PIN pads, is a commercial matter for Post Office Ltd. I can confirm, however, that the Post Office is working to ensure its services are as accessible to as many customers as possible. To this end it has already made improvements to its PIN pads. It has: (i) developed a key guard for the PIN pad which clips over the unused keys to simplify its appearance and help guide customers; and (ii) added a raised dot to the 5 key. Further improvements are planned including: (i) producing a guide with RNIB to enhance the enter, clear and cancel keys by inserting tactile symbols next to each of these keys; (ii) different beeps for the enter, clear and cancel keys; and (iii) large print, tactile maps and audio guides to be available in post offices to assist customers to use PIN pads. The Post Office is in consultation with the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and other representative groups about these adjustments.

Small Businesses

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government have taken to help small businesses in Crosby since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: In his Budget statement the Chancellor announced a number of steps to help small businesses including an increase of capital allowances to 50 per cent. and raising VAT registration threshold to 58 per cent., all of which helps Small Businesses in Crosby. In addition since 2001 the Business Link Operator for Greater Merseyside has contributed 13,700 consultancy subsidy to help 126 businesses, which includes three organisations who have shown an interest in improving their business through developing their people. Two of these are now preparing towards obtaining the Investors in People standard.
	A number of organisations have taken advantage of Business Link for Merseyside's subsidised consulting programme under Objective One, one of which wished to establish a scenic/prop workshop for the film and media industry, the subsidy helped the organisation draw up a business plan and raise the finance to develop their business idea. A day Nursery who have expanded into new premises were helped by using this subsidy to help promote their new premises by a production of a new brochure. Two financial service companies have benefited, one by using the subsidy to develop their website to promote financial services, the other to obtain a network solution to provide more efficient and effective ICT services within the business. Another Merseyside company is looking to expand their business and will use the subsidy to develop a marketing plan.
	One organisation has used the Business Link's Supply Chain Programme and has just signed up for a second year, part of the programme puts interested businesses on a database and matches them up with purchasers further up the supply chain, this gives the business greater opportunity to grow.
	The Business Link has assisted a number of businesses to start-up, this includes helping to draw up a plan to restart a business following pregnancy of the owner, helping identify and obtain funding to allow an employee of a small business to buy out from the retiring employer, assisting a new business to access growth finance, providing an action plan to a business wishing to recycle computers to charities.
	A company, started with a loan from Princes Trust approached the Euro Info Centre North West (hosted by Greater Merseyside Enterprise) for information on further European funding to develop the business into Europe. This has given the business access to further funding which should help it grow into Europe. Another Business has taken advantage several times of the UKTI trade mission service to develop its overseas market opportunities.

Small Businesses

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people were employed in small businesses in each of the last seven years.

Nigel Griffiths: The figure for 2003 is not yet available.
	The estimated numbers of people employed in small businesses (businesses with 0 to 49 employees) in the United Kingdom private sector (including public corporations and nationalised bodies) from 1997 to 2002 are as follows:
	
		
			  People (Thousand) 
		
		
			 1997 9,418 
			 1998 9,652 
			 1999 9,557 
			 2000 9,650 
			 2001 9,809 
			 2002 9,911 
		
	
	These figures are available at www.sbs.gov.uk/statistics/smestats.php.

State Aid

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many requests to the European Commission concerning state aid compliance in the regions of (a) the north west, (b) the north east and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber have been made since 2000; and how many requests have been turned down.

Mike O'Brien: The following figures set out the best available information on the number of notifications in the regions of the north west, north east and Yorkshire and the Humber made to the European Commission since 2000, excluding agriculture, fishery and transport cases.
	North West:
	Three SME block exemption, three training aid block exemption and one notified scheme using the full notification procedureAid N282/2003 Cumbria BroadbandProject AccessAdvancing Communication for Cumbria and Enabling Sustainable Services
	North East:
	11 SME block exemption, four training aid block exemption and no notified schemes
	Yorkshire and Humber:
	Four SME block exemption, two training aid block exemption and one notified scheme using the full notification procedureAid N486/2003Yorkshire and Humber Research and Development scheme.
	The European Commission has approved all of these schemes.

Taxi Licences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost to local authorities of reviewing local taxi licence restrictions.

Alistair Darling: I have been asked to reply.
	There should be no significant additional cost involved in the procedure outlined in the Government's Action Plan. Any local licensing authority which currently controls taxi numbers must base their policy on an assessment of local demand. Our proposals simply aim to formalise that process.

Taxi Licences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria the Government are setting for the assessment for local taxi licences' restrictions.

Alistair Darling: I have been asked to reply.
	We are asking those local licensing authorities which currently control taxi numbers to review their policies to determine whether such policies are in the best interests of passengers. As stated in the Action Plan, our request to the licensing authorities will include guidelines on quantity restrictions, including a review of the level of service available to consumers and consumer choice. The guidelines will cover (i) effective surveys to measure demand, including latent demand, for taxi services; (ii) consultation with all those working in the market, consumer and passenger (including disabled) groups, groups which represent those passengers with special needs, the police, a wide range of transport stakeholders e.g. rail/bus/coach providers and traffic managers; and (iii) publication of conclusions, including an explanation of the particular local circumstances which justify restrictions, what benefits they deliver to consumers and how decisions on numbers have been reached. Authorities will be encouraged to make all the evidence gathered to support the decision-making process available for public scrutiny.

Taxi Licences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations her Department will undertake with (a) the taxi trade and (b) local authorities prior to issuing guidelines to local authorities on taxi licence restrictions and the service available to consumers.

Alistair Darling: I have been asked to reply.
	We shall consult a range of stakeholders, including both the taxi trade and licensing authorities, on the draft best practice guidance which we intend to publish later this year.

Taxi Licences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what measures will be available to her Department to intervene in local authorities' decisions on taxi licence restrictions;
	(2)  what role her Department will play in the assessment of local conditions for taxi licence restrictions.

Alistair Darling: I have been asked to reply.
	As stated in the Action Plan, we shall be asking those local licensing authorities which currently impose a numerical limit on taxi licences to justify their policy and to publish that justification every three years and in the Local Transport Plans which cover their area. We shall note what the local authorities tell us in order that we can consider if further action is needed when we carry out a review in three years' time.

Trade (Taiwan and China)

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on recent levels and trends in UK trade with (a) Taiwan and (b) China.

Mike O'Brien: The value of UK trade in goods, with Taiwan and China is given in the following table.
	UK trade with Taiwan, in the latest three months, was 2.5 per cent. lower than the same period a year earlier. Trade with China increased by 31.4 per cent. over the same period.
	
		UK trade in goods with Taiwan and China --  million
		
			  Taiwan China 
		
		
			 2002   
			 November 261 740 
			 December 264 694 
			 2003   
			 January 263 719 
			 February 253 751 
			 March 250 779 
			 April 262 848 
			 May 254 856 
			 June 241 841 
			 July 255 777 
			 August 255 888 
			 September 258 879 
			 October 264 929 
			 November 257 922 
			 December 257 987 
			 2004   
			 January 254 919 
		
	
	(28) Seasonally adjusted.
	Source
	Business Monitor MM24, Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics, ONS.

Trade Agreements

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the Government will follow up their recent submission to the European Commission on reforming the rules of origin for preferential trade agreements.

Mike O'Brien: The Government are following up their submission in response to the European Commission's Green Paper on the future of rules of origin in preferential trade arrangements through discussions with officials in a range of European Commission Directorates General (Trade Internal Market, Development and Enterprise) and by briefing Commissioners' cabinets ahead of an expected College of Commission discussion. We are also liaising closely with other member states that share our views.

Tyres (Recycling)

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she (a) has introduced and (b) plans to introduce to encourage the recycling of tyres for (i) road fill material and (ii) other purposes.

Stephen Timms: The Government have supported research into a wide variety of uses for waste tyres, including their use in roads. A number of trial stretches of roads incorporating rubber crumb from waste tyres have been laid for evaluation purposes. Funding support for relevant projects, through programmes such as that run by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, continues to be available.
	The Government have no plans to introduce material-specific measures for tyres, although they are considering whether the general framework under which waste tyres are disposed of and recovered could be usefully strengthened. Against that background, initial estimates indicate that value was recovered from around 80 per cent. of the over 400,000 tonnes of tyres disposed of in 2003, and further progress is anticipated during 2004.

Utilities

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how much she estimates is held by utility companies in excess from estimated bills;
	(2)  what steps she has taken to ensure the accuracy of estimated utility bills; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The regulation of gas and electricity supply, including billing arrangements, is the responsibility of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). I understand that the Chairman of Ofgem will write to the hon. Member about the matters he has raised.

VAT Registration

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the reasons for (a) the fall in the number of VAT registrations and (b) the increase in the number of VAT de-registrations since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: VAT registrations and de-registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has been rising in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 3.8 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2002.
	Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were 93,100 business start ups in England and Wales in the third quarter of 2003. The latest yearly figures show 384,900 business start ups in England and Wales in the 12 months ending in September 2003. This represents a 3 per cent. increase on the year before.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimates her Department has made of the cost to (a) consumers, (b) taxpayers and (c) local councils of implementing the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Stephen Timms: The Government's proposals for implementation of the EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment should result in no new burdens on taxpayers or local councils. The Directive is a producer responsibility measure and it will be a matter for producers and retailers whether they pass any new costs through to consumers. A Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment of the Government's implementation strategy was published with their consultation paper on implementation plans for the Directive on 26 November. A copy of this has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Wind Farms

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money is being spent in 200304 from the Government subsidy to electricity generation companies on the construction and operation of wind farms.

Stephen Timms: In financial year 200304, the Government spent 5 million to support one offshore wind farm development. No direct support was provided for onshore wind farm development except for some small household or community installations under the Clear Skies scheme.
	Support provided through the Non Fossil Fuel Obligation and the Renewables Obligation are not Government subsidies.

Wind Farms

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list each (a) existing and (b) proposed onshore wind farm, broken down by constituency.

Stephen Timms: Proposals to construct and operate on-shore generating stations with a capacity greater than 50 megawatts (MW) in England and Wales require my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.
	The information for applications made under section 36 for proposed on-shore wind farms is as follows:
	Approved but not yet constructed
	Cefn Croes Ceredigion (consented May 2002)
	Still under consideration
	Little Cheyne CourtFolkestone and Hythe
	Scout MoorHeywood and Middleton, Rossendale and Darwen
	WhinashPenrith and The Border
	KeadbyBrigg and Goole, Doncaster North
	Tween BridgeDoncaster North, Don Valley
	Consents for generating stations in Scotland are a matter for the devolved administration. Central Government do not hold records of proposals for on-shore wind farms below 50MW as these fall to be determined by the local planning authority under the normal planning regime.

Wind Farms

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money the Government have spent on publicising the role of wind farms in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The DTI's Renewable Energy Programme publishes a quarterly newsletter, New Review. The publication contains information on technical developments, business opportunities and other issues affecting all the renewables industry not just wind. The newsletter has several thousand subscribers from a range of backgrounds, including the renewables industry, Government, education, finance and consultancy. Since 1997 the average cost per annum has been in the region of 100,000.
	The Government recently announced a new campaign to raise awareness of the renewable energy sector not just wind. The campaignIt's Only Naturalwill seek to inform planners, investors and the wider community of the potential and benefits of renewable energy not just wind. The 2 million (spend over 18 months) campaign will target planners and investors through a number of channels, including workshops, a conference, media initiatives and a website.

Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what resources, in addition to the Department's work-life balance fund, she makes available to help employers with work-life issues;
	(2)  how many employers, broken down by (a) sector and (b) region, the Department's work-life balance fund has helped in each year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table sets out the number of employers who received financial assistance through the Challenge Fund over the five rounds of its operation, by region and by sector.
	
		Figure 1
		
			  Rounds 15 
		
		
			 Breakdown by region 
			 North West 52 
			 North East 33 
			 West Midlands 27 
			 East Midlands 45 
			 South West 54 
			 South East 37 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 38 
			 East 38 
			 Scotland 35 
			 Wales  
			 Northern Ireland  
			 London 83 
			 Cross regional projects 15 
			   
			 Breakdown by Sector  
			 Manufacturing 22 
			 Science and Research 4 
			 ICT 8 
			 Finance 24 
			 Hospitality 4 
			 Retail 25 
			 Business Services/Consultancy 37 
			 Transport 11 
			 Construction 3 
			 Public Sector Administration 131 
			 Hospitals, LHAs and Trusts 41 
			 Schools and LEAs 62 
			 Voluntary/Charitable bodies and associations including Unions 47 
		
	
	The Work Life Balance Challenge Fund, which has been one strand of the Work-Life Balance Campaign, is nearing completion and no further rounds are planned. The DTI will continue to help employers establish better practice in their work places. Financial assistance will be accessible through the DTI's new Business Support Scheme as from April 2004. DTI Business Links will become the first point of contact for companies interested in such support.
	DTI will continue to make available a range of resources to assist, inform, and encourage best practice among employers who might wish to pursue Work-Life Balance initiatives in their workplaces. From April 2004 the dissemination of information about Work-Life Balance and Flexible Working policies and practice will be funded through the Business Support Scheme.
	A major resource for the campaign has, and will continue to be, an interactive website which offers guidance on establishing initiatives in the workplace, flexible working legislation, and provides research and employer case studies which reflect the experiences of large and small companies across the country who have adopted work life balance policies and practices.
	The site allows access to EMAR or the Employment market Analysis and Research (EMAR) site is a Research body fully funded by the DTI. It has an ongoing programme of research, which has complemented the Work-life Balance campaign.New legislation came into effect 6 April 2003. This was accompanied by information and guidance for both employers and employees. An information booklet entitled New Laws for Working ParentsKey information for employers was mailed direct to just under 100,000 SMEs (79 per cent. in the 549 employee category). The DTI has worked with ACAS to provide further guidance to employers through Acas' national helpline.

Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total expenditure of the Department's Work-life Balance Fund has been in each year of its existence.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The table at Figure 1 sets out the total financial assistance to date provided through the Challenge Fund for each of the fund's five rounds.
	
		Figure 1 -- 
		
			  Amount 
		
		
			 Round 1 2,015,443 
			 Round 2 586,536 
			 Round 3 3,333,061 
			 Round 4 3,919,851 
			 Round 5 193,575 
			 Total 10,048,466

Working Time Directive

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the European Commission on ensuring the UK retains flexibility in implementing the Working Time Directive.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and I have met the European Commission several times over the last year with a view to maintaining the flexibility currently given by the Working Time Directive. Indeed, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State hopes to discuss this issue further with Stavros Dimas, the new Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner, in the near future.

HEALTH

Administration Costs

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on administration by (a) strategic health authorities, (b) primary care trusts and (c) NHS trusts in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Real terms expenditure on national health service administration, broken down by organisation from 199899, is shown in the table.
	
		 thousands
		
			  199899 19992000 200001 200102 
		
		
			 Health authorities and strategic health authorities 645,339 764,598 755,623 673,817 
			 Primary care trusts n/a n/a 62,116 490,075 
			 NHS trusts 1,289,777 1,286,661 1,306,971 1,306,018 
			 Total 1,935,116 2,051,259 2,124,710 2,469,910

Bed Blocking

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the performance of (a) Bournemouth borough council and (b) Dorset county council in tackling bed blocking arising at the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital Trust.

Stephen Ladyman: In the last four weeks, the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital National Health Service Trust has reported between 17 and 32 delayed discharges of residents of Bournemouth borough council. The same trust has reported, in the last four weeks, between 11 and 23 delayed discharges of residents of Dorset county council. These delays were due to a range of reasons; some patients were awaiting social services and others non-acute national health services services. The NHS trust, ambulance trust, five primary care trusts and three local authority social services departments have recently agreed an action plan to tackle these delays.

Care Homes

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that those carrying out inspections of care homes adhere to similar objectives and requirements.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 18 March 2004
	Inspections of care homes are carried out by the National Care Standards Commission, using a national methodology. They are responsible for ensuring the requirements set down in the Care Homes Regulations 2001 are met and the National Minimum Standards are taken into account. This responsibility will fall to the Commission for Social Care Inspection from 1 April 2004.

Children (Mental Health)

David Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how he plans to empower children meeting the criteria set out by the House of Lords in Gillick v. West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority in 1986 to consent to or refuse treatment to the same extent as an adult in the planned Mental Health Bill; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will introduce a legal duty on the managers of hospitals to secure (a) assessment of and (b) provision in the care plan for the family needs of a patient with parental responsibility made subject to compulsory mental health powers; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will bring forward a requirement in the draft Mental Health Bill that the clinical supervisor of a child subject to mental health law must be a specialist in child and adolescent mental health;
	(4)  whether he intends to incorporate into the planned Mental Health Bill the rights expressed in article 25 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child of a child who has been placed by the competent authorities for the purposes of care, protection or treatment of his or her physical or mental health to a periodic review of (a) the treatment provided to the child and (b) all other circumstances relating to his or her placement.

Rosie Winterton: The Mental Health Bill Consultation Document, Cm. 5538111, published in June 2002 contained a number of specific consultation questions on protecting children and young people with serious mental disorder. We have been considering carefully the responses to the consultation and further points raised at a recent meeting with stakeholders specifically looking at proposals for children and young people.
	A revised and completed Mental Health Bill will be brought forward for pre-legislative scrutiny this session.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to reply to the letter to him from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 12 February with regard to Dr. P W Bishop.

John Reid: A reply was sent to the right hon. Member on 26 March 2004.

Dentists

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists' surgeries in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough are accepting new NHS patients.

John Hutton: The available information on dental practices accepting new National Health Service patients is for primary care trust areas in London. The information in the table shows separate information for the main category of patient and includes the total number of practices.
	This information was taken from the NHS.UK website and is correct for 18 March 2004. In addition, some other dental practices may take on new patients, but this is not recorded on the website.
	
		Dental practices in London accepting new NHS patients
		
			 Strategic health authority Primary care trust Children aged 0 to 18 years Charge paying adults Charge exempt adults Occasional treatment tonon-registered patients Total numberof practicesin the area 
		
		
			 London  1,019 747 876 353 1,535 
			 North Central London  157 111 115 72 296 
			  Barnet 26 4 5 13 94 
			  Camden 41 33 37 29 66 
			  Enfield 28 21 19 4 47 
			  Haringey 36 28 28 7 50 
			  Islington 26 25 26 19 39 
			
			 North East London  186 173 178 109 261 
			  Barking and Dagenham 19 19 19 0 23 
			  City and Hackney 30 30 31 15 39 
			  Havering 21 19 20 2 44 
			  Newham 32 29 30 14 39 
			  Redbridge 35 33 33 41 55 
			  Tower Hamlets 24 17 24 14 28 
			  Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone 25 26 21 23 33 
			
			 North West London  334 230 281 61 429 
			  Brent 52 15 45 2 63 
			  Eating 48 44 46 17 54 
			  Hammersmith and Fulham 29 24 28 15 39 
			  Harrow 40 23 22 0 54 
			  Hillingdon 35 30 30 6 43 
			  Hounslow 43 37 40 17 49 
			  Kensington and Chelsea 24 19 23 1 38 
			  Westminster 63 38 47 3 89 
			 South East London  194 131 177 45 278 
			  Bexley 32 15 26 15 41 
			  Bromley 55 24 51 1 65 
			  Greenwich 31 21 27 11 37 
			  Lambeth 27 26 27 6 48 
			  Lewisham 25 23 23 6 41 
			  Southwark 24 22 23 6 46 
			
			 South West London  148 102 125 66 271 
			  Croydon 51 40 45 21 63 
			  Kingston 18 10 15 18 32 
			  Richmond and Twickenham 23 8 13 18 47 
			  Sutton and Merton 16 14 11 9 75 
			  Wandsworth 40 30 41 0 54

Digital Hearing Aids

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when residents of Northavon constituency will be able to access digital hearing aids via the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 24 March 2004
	Digital hearing aids will be available to people from Northavon who attend the audiology service at Southmead Hospital from March 2005.
	Details of audiology departments that are or will be involved in the modernising hearing aid services project are available at the Royal National Institute for the Deaf's Modernising of Hearing Aid Services (MHAS) internet site at www.mhas.info.

E-auctions

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what systems are in place to ensure that products and services purchased by e-auction are subject to the same quality and clinical reliance tests as those purchased under normal tender procedures.

John Hutton: holding answer 29 March 2004
	Suppliers invited to participate in an e-auction are initially subjected to a traditional tender process, where product quality issues are assessed. Only those suppliers who meet the minimum criteria on both commercial viability and product quality and standards are invited to submit an initial tender and to participate in any subsequent e-auction event. The award of contracts following an e-auction is not based on the lowest bid price, but on a combination of factors including quality, service and price.

Hospitals (Carshalton and Wallington)

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the hospitals in Carshalton and Wallington which ran a budget deficit in the year ending 31 March 2003; and how much this deficit was for each hospital.

John Hutton: Information on deficits is available at national health service trust level and not for individual hospital units. Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust includes St. Helier hospital, an acute hospital within Carshalton and Wellington. The 200203 audited NHS trust summarisation schedules show Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust reporting a deficit of 2,193,000 in its accounts for 200203.

Medical Qualifications (EU)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on the recognition of qualifications for (a) nurses, (b) doctors and (c) midwives from the EU applicant countries; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The Department is in touch with the European Commission about the progress of the acceding countries in meeting their commitments in relation to the training of general care nurses, doctors and midwives and I continue to keep the regulatory bodies informed of developments.

NHS Childcare Provision

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners' surgeries take advantage of NHS child care provisions.

John Hutton: Information on how many general practitioners' surgeries take advantage of national health service child care provision is not collected.

Recruitment/Retention Premiums

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 10 March 2004, Official Report, column 1592W, on Agenda for Change, what maximum limits have been set on recruitment and retention premiums to (a) individual postholders and (b) groups of postholders.

John Hutton: The Agenda for Change proposed agreement states that the combined value of any nationally awarded and locally awarded recruitment and retention premium shall not normally exceed 30 per cent. of basic salary. This applies to individual postholders and groups of postholders.

Rescue Services

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much joint training in chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear duties (a) has been and (b) is being carried out between ambulance services and fire and rescue services.

John Hutton: Training courses to allow front tine ambulance staff to respond safely and effectively to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents have been, and are being, conducted by each ambulance service to a standard syllabus delivered by nationally trained local instructors. That syllabus was developed, and the instructors trained, through the police national training centre at Winterbourne Gunner, with combined input from each of the three main blue light services. The course content places particular emphasis on multi-agency aspects and requires input from the other emergency services at local level.
	Confidence in dealing with chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear (CBRN) incidents is further strengthened through multi-agency exercises and combined CBRN training for ambulance, police and fire incident commanders.

Rescue Services

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of decontamination training has been given to ambulance crews.

John Hutton: Each ambulance service has a cadre of staff trained to deal with the health aspects of the response to a chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear incident. Those staff have been trained to work safely in a contaminated area, to decontaminate patients and to deliver basic life support.

Rescue Services

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of ambulance crews have been trained in the use of chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear protective equipment.

John Hutton: The Ambulance Service Association reports that, to date, specialist training in the use of personal equipment has been provided for 2,500 front-line ambulance staff and that number is expected to increase to 3,000 by early summer 2004. The target is to create and maintain a trained cadre of 3,000 staff, which represents about 20 per cent. of front-line accident and emergency staff from ambulance services in England by the end of the year.
	The Government have provided equipment and an additional financial contribution of 5,454,200 in 200304 to enable ambulance services to continue to develop and maintain specialist teams and training activities.

Rescue Services

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what type of chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear protective equipment has been given to ambulance crews.

John Hutton: Every ambulance service has been equipped with suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) and mobile decontamination units to allow safe working for front-line staff and to enable the decontamination of patients.
	The protective equipment supplied to national health service staff provides adequate protection against a wide range of industrial chemicals and other specifically identified hazards to which NHS staff might be exposed.

Strategic Health Authority Staff

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff are reported in the September 2003 Workforce Census as being employed by each strategic health authority.

John Hutton: holding answer 26 March 2004
	The information requested is shown in the table. Between September 2002 and 2003, the number of staff employed by strategic health authorities (SHAs) fell by 12 per cent.
	
		Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS) staff and NHS hospital and community health services: Medical and non-medical staff directly employed by Strategic Health Authorities in England as at 30September 2003 -- Headcount
		
			   All medical and dental and non-medical staff 
		
		
			  
			  
			  England 3,540 
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 65 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA 70 
			 Q03 Essex SHA 69 
			 Q04 North West London SHA 109 
			 Q05 North Central London SHA 131 
			 Q06 North East London SHA 163 
			 Q07 South East London SHA 104 
			 Q08 South West London SHA 91 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA 105 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley SHA 92 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire SHA 67 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire SHA 82 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 55 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester SHA 169 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA 208 
			 Q16 Thames Valley SHA 133 
			 Q17 Hampshire and Isle Of Wight SHA 144 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway SHA 89 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex SHA 299 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA 66 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula SHA 114 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset SHA 103 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire SHA 402 
			 Q24 Trent SHA 139 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA 86 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA 93 
			 Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country SHA 189 
			 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire SHA 103 
		
	
	Note:
	Medical staff figures do not include staff employed by other organisations, even when they work in the SHA.
	Sources:
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Working Time Directive

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has negotiated a concession in the European Working Time Directive that will allow postponement of implementation of the Directive beyond August for junior doctors.

John Hutton: holding answer 26 March 2004
	No. We are actively seeking changes to the Working Time Directive (WTD) through the European Commission's consultation process to enable national health service employers to comply with the WTD more easily.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Easter Uprising

Paul Marsden: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what his policy is regarding returning original documents held by the Public Record Office from the Easter uprising in Dublin in 1916 to (a) the nearest living relative and (b) the National Archives of Ireland.

Christopher Leslie: Public records relating to the British administration in Ireland in 1916 and subsequently selected for permanent preservation because of their historical importance form part of the archives of the UK Government, now held by the National Archives at Kew. They are kept there so that present and future generations of researchers can access the nation's collective memory as expressed in the written record.
	The National Archives runs a full range of well-publicised copying services which are readily available to individuals and institutions if they wish to obtain copies of specific records. Further details can be obtained from its website at: http://www.pro.gov.uk/recordcopying/default.htm
	In addition, the National Archives is willing to consider special copying arrangements in cases where it can be demonstrated that this would provide easier access to a significant number of people directly affected by the events described in those records.

Employment Agencies

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the employment agencies which the Department and its predecessors have used to supply temporary staff in each financial year since 199697 to the most recent date for which figures are available.

Christopher Leslie: My Department, and its predecessor, has a national contract with Kelly Services which began in April 2001 for the supply of temporary staff. Prior to that my Department had a contract with Manpower between 1996 and 2001.
	My Department uses other agencies but information relating to these during the period in question is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	My Department uses temporary agency staff to meet short-term requirements and in areas where it is difficult to recruit and retain staff.

Magistrates Courts

John Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many trials for robbery and burglary in the (a) Ealing and Acton magistrates court and (b) Ipswich magistrates court have been (i) aborted and (ii) postponed in each of the last three years; and how many postponements of each postponed or aborted case there were before it came to trial or was aborted.

Christopher Leslie: The data on the number of trials for robbery and burglary in Ealing and Acton and Ipswich magistrates courts, which were aborted and postponed in each of the last three years, are not held.
	However, data are collected on 'cracked' and 'ineffective' trials. A 'cracked' trial occurs when on the date of trial, either the defendant pleads guilty or is bound over, or the prosecution withdraws its case. An 'ineffective' trial occurs when on the trial date, the trial has to be adjourned owing to the action or in action of one or more of the prosecution, the defence or the court.
	For trials in Ealing and Acton magistrates courts, out of a total of 1,084 trials in 2003, 356 were 'cracked' and 359 were 'ineffective'.
	For Ipswich magistrates court, out of a total of 462 trials in 2003, 150 were aborted 'cracked' and 117 were postponed 'ineffective'.
	The number of postponements of each 'cracked' or 'ineffective' case before it came to trial is not available.

Opinion Sampling

David Laws: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what his estimate is of total expenditure by the Department on (a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in each year from 199596 to 200304; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The information requested is not held centrally and a comprehensive reply, for other than the current financial year, could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	Total expenditure by the Department on focus groups for the current financial year (200304) is expected to be around 230,000.
	Total expenditure by the Department on opinion polls for the current financial year (200304) is expected to be around 330,000. These figures include the Public Guardianship Office and the Legal Services Commission, which carry out their own research independently.

Supreme Court

Lady Hermon: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) political parties and (b) other organisations in Northern Ireland on the Government's proposals for a supreme court.

Christopher Leslie: I have not met with political parties in Northern Ireland to discuss the UK Supreme Court. There have been ongoing discussions at official level between the Department for Constitutional Affairs and both the Northern Ireland Court Service and the Northern Ireland Office. In addition, responses to the consultation paper on the proposed UK Supreme Court were received from the following organisations:
	the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission;
	Training for Women Network Ltd;
	the Bar Council of Northern Ireland; and
	the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland on behalf of the Judges of the High Court and Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Best Value

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of best value on the efficient provision of local government services; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: Best value is a performance management framework for securing continuous improvement through the delivery of efficient, effective and economic services that meet users' needs.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has commissioned Cardiff Business School to evaluate the long-term impact of best value in English local councils. The findings to date reveal that best value is seen as a positive driver of change and that best value reviews are helping councils to improve the efficiency, quality and cost-effectiveness of services.

Council Housing

Hugo Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many empty council homes there are in (a) Devon and (b) Cornwall.

Keith Hill: The information is as follows:
	
		Total number of vacant local authority owned dwellings at1April 2003
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Devon 150 
			 Cornwall 80 
		
	
	Note
	Figures rounded to the nearest 10
	Source:
	ODPM's Housing Investment Programme returns

Department-Sponsored Bodies

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) total budget, (b) funding from his Department, (c) administration budget and (d) staff cost to his Department for the (i) Housing Revenue Account Group, (ii) Chester-le-Street Housing Advisory Board and (iii) Supporting People Practitioners Group were in financial years (A) 200203 and (B) 200304; and if he will make a statement on the (1) current and (2) future work of each body.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is as follows:
	(i) The Housing Revenue Account Group. This group was wound up before March 2003. It had no separately identifiable budget.
	(ii) The Chester-le-Street Housing Advisory Board was established by Chester-le-Street Council. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister did not provide any funds for nor meet any of the expenses of the Board.
	(iii) Supporting People Practitioners Group. There was no separately identifiable budget for the Practitioners Group. It was wound up following the introduction of Supporting People.

Fire and Rescue Services

Adrian Flook: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect on the threat to life from fire of implementing plans for a single control room for the fire and rescue services in the south west region; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is creating a resilient national network of regional fire and rescue control centres which make possible more effective responses to local, regional or national incidents of significant/substantial scale or complexity. This approach strengthens the ability of the service to maximise national capacity to deal with exceptional call volumes, improve resilience and provide more effective fallback arrangements, and address business continuity requirements. The net effect of the improved arrangements will be a reduction in the threat to life, not just from fire, but from a wide range of other threats, not envisaged when the existing infrastructure for call handling and mobilising was developed.

Gypsies/Travellers

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities include a policy towards Gypsies and Travellers as a part of their homelessness strategy; and what percentage of local authorities this represents.

Yvette Cooper: This information is not currently available.
	The Homelessness Act 2002 required all local housing authorities in England to publish a strategy by 30 July 2003 which aims to prevent homelessness and ensure that accommodation and support are available for people who become homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has commissioned an independent evaluation of all homelessness strategies, which will report later this year.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he makes of the fulfilment by registered social landlords of promises made to tenants in large scale voluntary transfers.

Keith Hill: The published research is contained in a DETR Research Report entitled 'Views on the Large Scale Voluntary Transfer Process (May 2000)', which explored whether tenants believed that the registered social landlords (RSLs) had delivered on promises made to tenants at time of transfer. The majority of respondents in the case study areas said that their landlord had delivered on at least some of their promises, with only 9 per cent. saying that the RSL had failed to deliver.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Corporation have commissioned a long term evaluation of the programme, which will record what promises have been made to tenants and track whether these are being met.

Housing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what account he has made of the proposals set out in the Lyons Report in assessing future demands for housing in (a) the south east and (b) Hampshire.

Keith Hill: The requirements for housing in the south east, including Hampshire are set out in Regional Planning Guidance issued in 2001.
	The requirements are in the process of being reviewed by the South East Regional Assembly who will need to take account of any impact the proposals in the Lyons Report may have on future demands for housing in the south east and Hampshire. The Government expect to receive a draft strategy in 2005 which will then be subject to public examination.

Housing

Adrian Flook: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance his Department has issued with respect to levels of new-house building in the south west region; which sites in that region are targeted for development; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: Regional Planning Guidance for the South West (RPG10) published in September 2001 gives guidance on the levels of additional housing for which provision should be made in the region's structure plans over the period 19962016. It does not indicate specific sites. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to make a statement.

Local Authority Revenue (Tyne and Wear)

Alan Campbell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) level of external debt and (b) annual cost of servicing that debt was in each local authority in Tyne and Wear in each of the last seven years.

Nick Raynsford: The information is as follows.
	(a) The level of external debt in each local authority in Tyne and Wear in each of the last seven years are tabled as follows. Figures for 1998 and 1999 are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		Level of external debt in Tyne and Wear by local authority at 31March --  million
		
			  1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Gateshead 267 336 313 316 313 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 450 447 460 463 461 
			 North Tyneside 170 205 225 227 212 
			 South Tyneside(29) 313 203 196 177 175 
			 Sunderland 198 220 229 173 143 
		
	
	(29) Public Works Loan Board debt previously held by former Tyne and Wear county council has been excluded from these figures.
	Sources:
	ODPM monthly and quarterly borrowing returns.
	Public Works Loan Board.
	It should be noted that authorities with high levels of debt are generally those, which have undertaken capital investment, and that long-term borrowing to finance capital expenditure is currently regulated through the issue of credit approvals and, from 1 April 2004, will be subject to the Prudential System.
	(b) Figures for external interest payments in each local authority in Tyne and Wear in each of the last seven years are tabled as follows:
	
		External interest payments in Tyne and Wear by local authority --  million
		
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304(30) 
		
		
			 Gateshead 23 25 23 22 21 20 22 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 40 40 40 39 38 40 39 
			 North Tyneside 16 17 17 18 19 19 18 
			 South Tyneside n/a n/a 6 5 5 4 6 
			 Sunderland 16 18 17 17 7 7 9 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	(30) Budgeted figures.
	Sources:
	199798 to 200203 ODPM Revenue Summary Returns.
	200304 ODPM Budget Estimate Returns.

Local Authority Revenue (Tyne and Wear)

Alan Campbell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of (a) council tax and (b) council house rents was collected in North Tyneside in each of the last five years.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is tabled as follows:
	
		North Tyneside
		
			 Financial year Percentage of council tax collected in-year(31) Percentage of council house rents collected(32) 
		
		
			 199899 91.7 99.3 
			 19992000 93.8 98.4 
			 200001 94.0 96.2 
			 200102 95.2 96.8 
			 200203 95.9 96.9 
		
	
	(31) As reported on QRC4 forms. Council tax collection continues after the end of the financial year to which amounts relate and so the final percentage collected is higher than the figures shown, which exclude amounts for earlier years.
	(32) Data collected by the Audit Commission as Audit Commission or Best Value Performance Indicators.

Playing Fields (Taunton)

Adrian Flook: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning applications on playing fields have been approved in Taunton since 1997 that resulted in a lower provision of playing field space.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister only collates information on planning applications on playing fields where applications are referred first to the Secretary of State under the Town and Country Planning (Playing Fields)(England) Direction 1998 because of an outstanding objection from Sport England. One referral has been made from Taunton Deane Borough Council since the Direction came into effect. Sport England subsequently withdrew its objection because no playing pitches were affected by the proposal. Detailed information on all planning applications for playing fields is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Boarding Schools

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) boarding schools and (b) boarding facilities within independent schools have closed since the National Care Standards Commission began its inspections.

David Miliband: My right hon. Friend receives advice about welfare provision in independent boarding schools from the National Care Standards Commission, for the purposes of ensuring that the regulatory requirements relating to safeguarding and promoting welfare are met. Since April 2002, when the Commission began its inspections, none has resulted in enforcement action to close a school.

Boarding Schools

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which agencies have statutory authority to inspect or audit boarding schools.

David Miliband: My right hon. Friend receives advice from the following agencies and authorities for the purposes of ensuring that boarding schools reach and maintain satisfactory standards of education, health, safety and welfare:
	Ofsted
	The Independent Schools Inspectorate, in the case of independent schools belonging to the Independent Schools Council
	The National Care Standards Commission
	Fire Authorities.

Boarding Schools

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many boarding schools have been examined by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in each of the last six financial years; and how many were identified as having a significant defect.

David Miliband: Independent Schools which belong to an association affiliated to the Independent Schools Council (ISC), have, since 1 January 1999, been subject to inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) under arrangements agreed between the Government and the ISC. These inspections provide advice to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on whether member schools meet the regulatory requirements which all independent schools must satisfy.
	The number of boarding schools inspected by the ISI between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2003 is given in the table.
	
		
			  Number of boarding schools inspected by ISI 
		
		
			 1999 38 
			 2000 65 
			 2001 94 
			 2002 89 
			 2003 87 
		
	
	None of the inspections by ISI resulted in enforcement action to remove schools from the Register of Independent Schools, as any weaknesses identified by the inspections were addressed.

Adult Learning

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) disabled adults benefiting from adult learning initiatives and (b) adults with learning difficulties engaged in adult learning education courses there were in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Unfortunately, we do not have reliable information about the number of disabled people participating in particular Government learning initiativesHowever, we have measured the participation of disabled people in adult learning in general (including: Government funded learning, job-related training, and self-taught learning) using the National Adult Learning Survey 2002 (NALS).
	Overall, 76 per cent. of adults in England (aged 16 to 69 and outside continuous full-time education) had participated in at least one learning activity over the previous three years. Participation in learning was lower among people with a disability (64 per cent.) than those without a disability (81 per cent.).
	We do not currently record participation in LEA-funded Adult Education for people with learning difficulties.
	However, around 61 per cent. of adults with learning difficulties had participated in at least one learning activity over the previous three years (Source: English Local Labour Force Survey 2001). This compares to 76 per cent. for the general population as described above.

Adult Literacy/Numeracy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public funding has been spent on adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in Crosby in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on Skills For Life (the Government's strategy for literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Greater Merseyside Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area is set out in the table:
	
		Greater Merseyside Learning and Skills Council (LSC) -- 000
		
			  Basic skills Key skills 
		
		
			 April to July 2001(33) 3,803 1,094 
			 August 2001 to July 2002 6,575 1,564 
			 August 2002 to July 2003 10,677 1,755 
		
	
	(33) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
	From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the Skills for Life strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.

Adult Literacy/Numeracy

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public funding has been spent on adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in Buckingham in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on Skills For Life (the Government's strategy for the literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners (from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area is set out in the table:
	
		000
		
			  Basic skills Key skills 
		
		
			 April 2001 to July 2001(34) 2,445 674 
			 August 2001 to July 2002 4,134 909 
			 August 2002 to July 2003 6,028 1,197 
		
	
	(34) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
	From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the Skills For Life strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.

Adult Literacy/Numeracy

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in Chorley in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on Skills For Life (the Government's strategy for the literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners (from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Lancashire Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area is set out in the following table.
	
		000
		
			  Basic skills Key skills 
		
		
			 April 2001 to July 2001(35) 3,370 1,270 
			 August 2001 to July 2002 6,577 1,857 
			 August 2002 to July 2003 7,815 1,948 
		
	
	(35) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
	From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the Skills For Life strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.

Adult Literacy/Numeracy

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public funding has been spent on adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in (i) the Burton constituency and (ii) Staffordshire in each of the last seven years.

Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on Skills For Life (the Government's strategy for the literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners (from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Staffordshire Learning and Skills Council area is set out in the table:
	
		000
		
			  Basic skills Key skills 
		
		
			 April 2001 to July 2001(36) 2,341 786 
			 August 2001 to July 2002 3,123 1,006 
			 August 2002 to July 2003 4,899 2,063 
		
	
	(36) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
	From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the Skills For Life strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.

Adult Literacy/Numeracy

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was spent on adult literacy and numeracy in North Tyneside local education authority in each of the last seven years.

Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on Skills For Life (the Government's strategy for the literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners (from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Tyne and Wear Learning and Skills Council area is set out in the following table:
	
		000
		
			  Basic skills Key skills 
		
		
			 April 2001 to July 2001(37) 4,570 783 
			 August 2001 to July 2002 9,535 1,237 
			 August 2002 to July 2003 14,032 883 
		
	
	(37) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001.
	From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the Skills for Life strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.

Citizenship, Personal and Social Education

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the integration of citizenship, personal and social education across the curriculum.

Stephen Twigg: Citizenship is a statutory subject in secondary schools. The teaching of personal, social and health Education (PSHE) is underpinned by a non-statutory framework across all key stages. Schools have flexibility on how they plan and deliver citizenship and PSHE, whether as discrete areas of the curriculum or integrated across the curriculum. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority produce a range of guidance documents across citizenship and PSHE.

Communication Skills

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what resources he is investing in delivery of communication skills within the curriculum of 11 to 16-year-olds.

Stephen Twigg: Communication skills are an important and integral part of every pupil's learning experience. The general teaching requirements of the National Curriculum, which apply across all areas of the curriculum, state that pupils should be taught to express themselves correctly and appropriately and to read accurately and with understanding.
	The programmes of study for English at Key Stage 3 and 4, state that pupils should learn to communicate confidently in a wide variety of contexts, adapting what they say and how they say it to different situations and people. English is one of the strands of the Key Stage 3 Strategy in which we are investing 670 million up to the end of March 2005. This aims to improve teaching and learning to develop pupils, at age 14, into independent learners and confident, effective communicators.
	Some pupils have significant communication difficulties as the result of acquired or inherited conditions. We have established the Communication Aids Project (CAP) with 20 million funding to March 2006 to help such pupils through the provision of high technology communication aids.

Devon LEA

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much Devon schools have received in Standards Fund Grant in each year since its introduction.

David Miliband: Standards Fund grants are allocated to local education authorities (LEAs), not directly to schools. It is not possible to identify separately the amounts allocated to schools by LEAs. The following table shows allocations for the Standards Fund for Devon local education authority since the Standards Fund was introduced in 199899. The allocations include both Government and local authority contributions. The figures for 199899 to 200203 include class size grant, worth 2.9 million in 200203. Since 200304, funding for class size grant is distributed via Education Formula Spending Shares (EFSS).
	
		Standards fund allocations to Devon local education authority --  million
		
			  Revenue Capital 
		
		
			 199899 8.7 2.8 
			 19992000 9.7 8.7 
			 200001 18.2 16.4 
			 200102 21.9 22.2 
			 200203 25.4 20.4 
			 200304 20.2 23.1

Devon LEA

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent on adult (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in Devon Local Education Authority in each of the last seven years.

Ivan Lewis: The estimated total spend on Skills For Life (the Government's strategy for the literacy, language and numeracy needs of all post-16 learners from pre-entry level up to and including level 2) and on Key Skills (essential skills of communication, application of number and information technology), from April 2001 to July 2003, in the Devon and Cornwall Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area is set out in the table:
	
		Devon and Cornwall Learning and Skills Council (LSC) -- 000
		
			  Basic skills Key skills 
		
		
			 April to July 2001(38) 3,131 714 
			 August 2001 to July 2002 4,775 1,140 
			 August 2002 to July 2003 6,289 1,388 
		
	
	(38) The figures for April to July 2001 include costs incurred from August 2000 on learning aims continuing into April 2001
	From the information available to the LSC it has not been feasible to obtain estimates at constituency level or separate figures by subject without incurring disproportionate cost. Likewise it has not been feasible to obtain comparable figures for periods before April 2001 when the Skills for Life strategy was launched and the LSC was formed, but information shows it was considerably less than at present.

Teaching Assistants

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teaching assistants there were in schools in Greater London, broken down by local education authority in (a) each of the last seven years and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available.

David Miliband: The following table gives the numbers of full time equivalent teaching assistants employed in maintained schools in the Greater London area broken down by local education authority for each year between 1997 and 2003, the latest year for which data are available.
	
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Greater London 8,165 8,870 9,788 11,740 14,331 15,340 17,510 
			 Camden 203 238 249 303 364 439 467 
			 City of London 2 3 3 3 3 0 7 
			 Hackney 209 250 290 378 425 486 535 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 192 199 209 250 236 261 299 
			 Haringey 354 357 377 419 492 649 684 
			 Islington 250 247 272 346 364 350 480 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 128 139 139 172 207 218 265 
			 Lambeth 301 348 394 502 559 584 638 
			 Lewisham 280 293 321 405 568 474 562 
			 Newham 277 284 389 496 956 718 1,065 
			 Southwark 349 415 433 646 805 746 713 
			 Tower Hamlets 370 396 450 512 796 970 950 
			 Wandsworth 334 373 371 460 470 379 531 
			 Westminster 146 172 161 194 187 307 275 
			 Barking and Dagenham 299 295 309 321 401 499 511 
			 Barnet 292 340 404 479 548 742 717 
			 Bexley 196 229 276 313 384 319 560 
			 Brent 263 301 356 389 443 453 475 
			 Bromley 208 231 232 273 357 442 504 
			 Croydon 397 406 507 532 658 627 865 
			 Ealing 344 363 372 403 508 450 528 
			 Enfield 251 291 294 503 586 811 879 
			 Greenwich 358 398 435 509 650 648 727 
			 Harrow 268 265 291 303 302 328 429 
			 Havering 166 174 203 260 303 312 518 
			 Hillingdon 304 341 377 423 510 517 585 
			 Hounslow 276 281 295 328 380 401 400 
			 Kingston upon Thames 127 129 155 174 215 219 254 
			 Merton 191 205 223 243 289 251 300 
			 Redbridge 191 234 273 365 450 583 620 
			 Richmond upon Thames 102 106 111 128 158 213 216 
			 Sutton 156 172 205 233 264 337 314 
			 Waltham Forest 381 395 414 475 494 606 637 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Literacy

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in Greater London, broken down by borough, were classified as (a) innumerate and (b) illiterate in each year since 1995.

Ivan Lewis: There are no annual data available on levels of literacy and numeracy levels in Greater London since 1995. However the DfES Skills for Life survey published in October 2003 provides estimates of the numbers of people who are at various literacy and numeracy skill levels for Greater London Local Learning and Skills Council Areas. The findings are summarised in the following tables. For London as a whole 46 per cent. of the population are at level 2 1 , 35 per cent. are at level 1 2 and 19 per cent. at entry level 3 or below 3 , which roughly equates to below a G grade at GCSE, for literacy. The figures for the London Local Learning and Skills Council Areas should be treated with caution since they are based on small sample sizes.
	1 Level 2 is considered to be equivalent to the standard of an A*-C pass at GCSE
	2 Level 1 is considered to be equivalent to the standard of a grade D-G pass at GCSE.
	3 Entry Level 3 or below approximately equates to a standard of less than a grade G pass at GCSE.
	
		Table 1: Literacy levels for London and England
		
			  Central (170) North (107) South (336) East (336) West (263) Total for London (1212) Total for England (8730) 
		
		
			  Adults at entry Level 3 literacy or below
			 Number 51,000 99,000 218,000 320,000 230,000 918,000 5,200,000 
			 Percentage 8 23 17 24 22 19 16 
			  Adults at Level 1 literacy
			 Number 183,000 154,000 427,000 672,000 390,000 1,620,000 12,600,000 
			 Percentage 27 37 32 36 38 35 40 
			  Adults at Level 2 or above literacy
			 Number 433,000 166,000 672,000 520,000 406,000 2,186,000 14,000,000 
			 Percentage 65 40 51 40 40 46 44 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Numeracy levels for London and England
		
			  Central North South East West Total for London Total for England 
		
		
			  Adults at entry Level 3 or below
			 Number 206,000 209,000 465,000 773,000 625,000 2,278,000 14,900,000 
			 Percentage 30 58 37 56 59 48 47 
			  Adults at Level 1
			 Number 219,000 89,000 376,000 339,000 237,000 1,247,000 8,813,000 
			 Percentage 33 24 30 25 22 26 28 
			  Adults at Level 2 or above
			 Number 249,000 67,000 420,000 258,000 198,000 1,192,000 8,121,000 
			 Percentage 37 18 33 19 19 26 25

Education Funding (North-west)

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was spent per pupil on (a) primary and (b) secondary education in (i) Ribble Valley and Fulwood, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the North West in each of the last five years.

David Miliband: The information requested is submitted to the Department according to local education authority areas rather than districts within an area. Ribble Valley and Fulwood is a district of Lancashire Local Education Authority. The information for Lancashire LEA is as follows:
	
		Net Current Expenditure per pupil
		
			  Pre-primary education Primary education Pre-primary and primary education Secondary education 
			  Lancashire North West Lancashire North West Lancashire North West Lancashire North West 
		
		
			 199798 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,824 1,853 2,631 2.60C 
			 199899 n/a n/a n/a n/a 2,002 2,021 2,701 2.73S 
			 19992000 7,130 8,759 2,108 2,150 2,173 2,203 2,763 2,834 
			 200001 11,033 13,927 2,326 2,384 2,437 2,471 2,914 3,05S 
			 200102 16,391 20,711 2,629 2,670 2,797 2,796 3,230 3,424 
		
	
	Notes
	1. The financial data are taken from local education authorities' Section 52 Outturn Statements submitted to the DfES from 19992000 onwards and the ODPM's RO1 statement prior to then.
	2. Pupil data are drawn from the Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.
	3. The NCE per pupil figures for pre-primary and primary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in the pre-primary sector and maintained primary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained nursery and primary schools sector.
	4. The NCE per pupil figures for secondary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in maintained secondary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained secondary schools sector.
	5. 199798 figures are for Lancashire LEA prior to local government reorganisation. From 199899 onwards parts of Lancashire LEA became Blackburn LEA and Blackpool LEA.
	6. 19992000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance.7. Figures used are cash terms as reported by the LEA.

Enterprise Advisers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in Crosby have had enterprise advisers working with them to encourage enterprise practice.

Alan Johnson: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Mark Haysom the LSC's Chief Executive will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Europass Scheme

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans the Government have to participate in the EU initiative on the Europass scheme.

Alan Johnson: The Government intend to participate fully in the Europass initiative when it has been agreed by the EU institutions, including the Council of Ministers.

Export Control Act

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance his Department has given to higher education establishments on the implementation of the Export Control Act 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	Detailed user guidance for those operating under the new controls was published in November 2003. This guidance included an explanation of what these controls mean in practice for academia. Officials from the DTI's Export Control Organisation have been working with representatives of academia to help their members become aware of, understand and operate the new controls.

Mathematics

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which of the recommendations made by the report of Professor Adrian Smith's inquiry into post-14 mathematics education on secondary school mathematics teacher shortages he intends to act on; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: holding answer 26 March 2004
	As I announced on 24 February, the Government will consider the report Making Mathematics Count carefully before deciding on the ways forward.

Mathematics

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of (a) the shortfall of qualified full-time equivalent mathematics teachers, (b) the percentage and number of mathematics teachers who have no post A-level qualification in mathematics and (c) the percentage and number of full-time equivalent qualified mathematics teachers employed in tasks other than teaching mathematics; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent mathematics teachers with post A level mathematics qualifications there were in secondary schools in England in each year since 1997; and how many such teachers transferred to the further education sector in that period.

David Miliband: holding answer 26 March 2004
	Data about the subject qualifications held by teachers are collected periodically through a sample survey of maintained secondary schools in England. The most recent survey was conducted in November 2002 and showed that 76 per cent. of the teachers who taught some mathematics held a post A level qualification in mathematics, while 88 per cent. of mathematics periods were taught by teachers with a post-A level qualification in mathematics. We estimate that at November 1996 there were approximately 20,200 full-time teachers, who had a post A level qualification in mathematics, teaching some mathematics in maintained secondary schools. At November 2002 there were approximately 21,300.
	Data on the number of unfilled teacher vacancies are collected through the annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies (Form 618g). At January 2003, there were 316 unfilled vacancies for full-time mathematics teachers in maintained secondary schools in England, 70 fewer than in January 2002 and 94 fewer than in January 2001. In the 19992000 academic year the government introduced Golden Hello incentives to encourage recruitment to teacher training courses in mathematics. Between 199899 and September 2003 the number of mathematics teacher trainees rose by 74 per cent. from 1,120 to 1,950.
	Data on the number of mathematics teachers employed in tasks other than teaching mathematics or who transfer from the maintained schools sector to the further education sector are not collected centrally.

Modern Apprenticeships

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what targets his Department has on the numbers taking part in modern apprenticeship courses; and what assessment he has made of the overall number of apprentices.

Ivan Lewis: For the first question I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 18 March 2004, Official Report, column 654. The average number of modern apprentices in learning in January 2004 was 255,623. This is the highest level of participation since the programme began in 1994.

Overseas Students

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average course fee paid by overseas students is on (a) non-degree, (b) undergraduate and (c) postgraduate courses at colleges and universities.

Alan Johnson: Tuition fees vary widely between individual institutions and courses of study. According to the British Council the average annual course fee paid by overseas students for a non-degree course is estimated at 4,000. According to a recent survey by Universities UK, the average annual cost of an undergraduate course is 7,475 for classroom-based, 9,500 for laboratory-based, and 18,800 for clinical courses; and the average annual cost for a postgraduate course is 7,650 for classroom-based, 9,700 for laboratory-based, and 18,750 for clinical.

Pupil Mobility

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what changes he has made since February 2003 to his policy on the introduction of a targeted grant for local education authorities with high mobility.

David Miliband: There have been no changes since February 2003 to the policy on the introduction of a targeted grant to local education authorities with high mobility.

School Budgets (Greater London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which schools in Greater London, broken down by London borough, ran a budget deficit in the year ended 31 March 2003; and how much this deficit was for each school.

David Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

School Innovation

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 18 March 2004, Official Report, column 475W, on school innovation, how many schools have been granted the power to innovate, broken down by area of innovation.

David Miliband: There have been four schools whose applications to the Power to Innovate have been granted. These are as follows:
	
		
			 Quantity(Schools) Relevant legislation Innovation 
		
		
			 3 The Changing of School Session Times (England) Regulations 1999 To extend the length of the school day mid academic year, rather than wait until the beginning of the new school year. The purpose of the innovation was to provide extra curricular activities for pupils, freeing up time for teachers to work on planning, preparation, and to draw up education plans for individual pupils  
			 1 The Changing of School Session Times (England) Regulations 1999 To change the timings of the school day without the requirements set out in regulations to give the minimum of three months notice to parents and to consult parents at a meeting (instead parents were consulted by correspondence). The purpose of the innovation was to end the school day one hour early on alternate Wednesdays from September 2003, allowing staff to have a dedicated two-hour period once a fortnight for planning, preparation, assessment, and to hold meetings.

School Computers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on computers for schools in Greater London, broken down by local education authority, in each of the past seven years.

Charles Clarke: Funding for information and communications technologies (ICT) in schools has been allocated through the Standards Fund since 199899. Details of funding for schools in London (including local education authority matched funding) have been placed in the Libraries.

School Computers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils per computer there are in schools in Greater London, broken down by local education authority.

Charles Clarke: The information requested is not available centrally.
	Figures for England, which were derived from a sample of schools, are shown in the table.
	
		Average number of pupils(39)per computer (used solely or mainly for teaching and learning purposes) by type of schoolEnglandyear end March 2003
		
			 2003 Number 
		
		
			 Maintained Primary Schools 7.9 
			 Maintained Secondary Schools 5.4 
			 Maintained Special Schools 3.0 
		
	
	(39) Full-time equivalent numbers of pupils.
	The latest information on ICT in schools was published in Statistical Bulletin Survey of Information and Communications Technology in Schools 2003, which is available on the Department's website www. dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

North Tyneside LEA

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students living in North Tyneside local education authority have benefited from New Opportunities bursaries since the scheme was set up.

Alan Johnson: Information about Opportunity Bursaries is held at the level of institutions that provide higher education provision. Apart from that, it is not possible to extract from the data the number of awards for students in any given area.

North Tyneside LEA

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what investment there has been in (a) sports and (b) music in schools in North Tyneside local education authority in each of the last seven years.

Stephen Twigg: The information is not held centrally. Within the context of the statutory National Curriculum, where music is compulsory for pupils aged 5 to 14, and Physical Education (PE) is compulsory for pupils aged 5 to 16, it is for individual schools to use their budgets as they judge appropriate.
	The Government are investing more than 1 billion in England to transform PE, school sport and club links. The funding will help deliver an ambitious Public Service Agreement target, shared with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to increase the percentage of 5 to 16-year-olds who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent. by 2006.
	The Department is providing 909,086 to support the delivery of 2 School Sport Partnerships in the North Tyneside LEA area. The partnerships include 12 secondary and 51 primary schools and provide enhanced sports opportunities for all young people and ensure that their pupils spend a minimum of two hours a week on high quality PE and School Sport.
	The Music Standards Fund (MSF) supports Local Education Authority Music Services, which provide activities including workshops, festivals, small group and ensemble tuition and curriculum support. Since 1999, the following MSF payments have been made to North Tyneside LEA Music Service.
	
		
			   
		
		
			 200304 213,983 
			 200203 203,983 
			 200102 154,000 
			 200001 73,470 
			 19992000 53,375 
		
	
	Note:
	203,983 has been allocated for 200405.
	Furthermore, the New Opportunities Fund has provided schools in the North Tyneside LEA area with 3,528,950 to specifically enhance music, PE and school sport facilities.

North Tyneside LEA

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) teaching assistants, (b) teachers and (c) teaching vacancies there were in schools in North Tyneside local education authority in each of the last seven years.

David Miliband: The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent teaching assistants, regular teachers and full-time teacher vacancies in maintained schools in North Tyneside Local Education Authority in each January between 1997 and 2003.
	
		
			  Teaching assistants Teachers Teacher vacancies 
		
		
			 1997 105 1,650 0 
			 1998 216 1,640 0 
			 1999 217 1,630 26 
			 2000 237 1,600 16 
			 2001 274 1,820 14 
			 2002 184 1,690 8 
			 2003 305 1,650 5 
		
	
	Source
	Annual School Census and the annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies (618G)

North Tyneside LEA

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of local education authority funding per pupil in Tyneside (a) is for 200405 and (b) was in 199697.

David Miliband: The following table provides total revenue funding per pupil (age three to 19) figures for North Tyneside and South Tyneside for 200405 and 199798the first year for which comparative data are available. 200405 figures are still provisional.
	
		
			  North Tyneside South Tyneside 
		
		
			 199798 2,620 2,750 
			 200405 3,570 3,820

North Tyneside LEA

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much North Tyneside schools have received in Standards Fund Grant in each year since its introduction.

David Miliband: Standards Fund grants are allocated to local education authorities (LEAs), not directly to schools. It is not possible to identify separately the amounts allocated to schools by LEAs. The following table shows allocations for the Standards Fund for North Tyneside local education authority since the Standards Fund was introduced in 199899. The allocations include both Government and local authority contributions. The figures for 199899 to 200203 include class size grant, worth 0.4 million in 200203. Since 200304, funding for class size grant is distributed via Education Formula Spending Shares (EFSS).
	
		Standards fund allocations to North Tyneside local education authority -- 
		
			  Revenue Capital 
		
		
			 199899 2.1 1.5 
			 19992000 3.8 2.2 
			 200001 7.9 4.8 
			 200102 10.0 6.8 
			 200203 12.2 8.5 
			 200304 12.6 9.1

School Places (Ribble Valley)

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many new school places have been created in each year since 1997, in schools in the Ribble Valley parliamentary constituency.[R]

David Miliband: holding answer 26 March 2004
	We do not hold the information in the form requested. However, funding to support the provision of new pupil places in Lancashire local education authority (LEA) has been based on the following numbers of new places.
	
		
			 Year Primary Secondary 
		
		
			 199899 124 215 
			 19992000  548 
			 200001  436 
			 200102  40 
			 200203  111 
			 200304 180 35 
		
	
	Note:
	Allocations related to the authority's forecast of new pupil places required three years hence.

School Playing Fields

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school playing fields have been disposed of since 2001; and what purposes the land was used for in each case.

Stephen Twigg: Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requires local authorities and schools to obtain the written consent of the Secretary of State before they can dispose of any part of a school's playing field. Schools are only allowed to dispose of genuinely surplus areas of playing fields. All sale proceeds from approved applications are used to provide new or improved sports or education facilities at maintained schools.
	Since 2001, only 40 applications have been approved that would result in the loss of an area of school playing field that is capable of forming at least a small sports pitch of 2000m 2 . Some 19 of these cases are at closed or closing school sites. Of the 21 cases at operating schools, 18 of them included proposals to provide better sports facilities, including 11 new sports halls and eight all-weather pitches. The remaining three cases provided improved school facilities including a new school and new school buildings.
	The purpose of our assessment process is to ensure that the land is genuinely surplus to needs, not to monitor its future use. That is a matter for the local planning authority. We, therefore, do not record the purposes to which the land will be used following approval to dispose.

Schools (Computers)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on computers for schools in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in each year since 1996.

Tom Clarke: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to his question on funding allocated to Lancashire for information and communications technology (ICT) in schools across the authority on 16 March, Official Report, column 226W. Our records show that Lancashire did not receive any specific funding for ICT in 199697 or 199798. Funding is not allocated or collected on a constituency basis.

Schools (Computers)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils per computer there were in schools in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in each year since 1996.

Charles Clarke: The information requested is not available centrally.
	Figures for England, which were derived from a sample of schools, are shown in the table.
	
		Average number of pupils(40) per computer (used solely or mainly for teaching and learning purposes) by type of school -- EnglandYear end March 19962003
		
			  Maintained primary Maintained secondary Maintained special 
		
		
			 1996 19.0 9.0 4.0 
			 1997 (41) (41) (41) 
			 1998 17.6 8.7 4.5 
			 1999 13.4 8.4 3.7 
			 2000 12.6 7.9 3.7 
			 2001 11.8 7.1 3.2 
			 2002 10.1 6.5 3.4 
			 2003 7.9 5.4 3.0 
		
	
	(40) Full-time equivalent numbers of pupils.
	(41) Not available
	The latest information on ICT in schools was published in Statistical Bulletin 'Survey of Information and Communications Technology in Schools 2003', which is available on the Department's web-site www. dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Speech Therapists

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many speech therapist posts in special schools in London were unfilled in each local education authority in each year from 1997 to 2004.

David Miliband: Data on the number of vacancies for speech therapists in maintained special schools are not collected centrally.

Speech Therapists

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many speech therapists were employed in special schools in each local education authority in London in each year from 1997 to 2004.

David Miliband: Data on the number of speech therapists in maintained special schools are not collected centrally.

Students (South Derbyshire)

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many students there were in the most recent academic year for which statistics are available whose home prior to commencing their higher education course was in the South Derbyshire constituency;
	(2)  what proportion of students leaving school or college at 18 whose home was in the South Derbyshire constituency commenced a higher education course in the most recent academic year for which statistics are available.

Alan Johnson: pursuant to his reply 11 March 2004, Official Report, c. 1745W
	Figures at constituency level are not held centrally.
	The available information covers students accepted for entry to full time undergraduate courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) by local education authority (LEA). The figures show that in autumn 2002, 3,508 students of all ages from South Derbyshire LEA obtained a place in HE. In the same year, 22.5 per cent. of all 18-year-olds from South Derbyshire LEA obtained a place.

Teacher Recruitment

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to attract teachers who have taken early retirement back into the profession on (a) a part-time and (b) a voluntary basis; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Working through some of our national partners and contractors, such as the NCSL, TTA and Capita, we have encouraged the increased use of retired teachers with our plans for remodelling the school workforce and promoting 'Keeping in Touch' and 'Return to Teach'programmes. It is however up to local authorities and schools to determine their local needs for voluntary support staff.
	More specifically, for those teachers who retired on ill-health grounds from the Teachers' Pension Scheme, regulations came into effect on 1 January 2004 (The Education Health Standards England Regulations 2003) which will enable such former teachers to be re-employed, or work on a voluntary basis, in the education sector in a non-teaching capacity.